Playing to the Edge
by northestwinds
Summary: Haruhi returns to Japan to help Kasanoda take down the rival Sendo Syndicate in a trial for the ages. Secrets tore the host club apart years ago, but with Haruhi's life on the line, can the boys look past the years of distrust and unrequited love to unite once and for all? [eventual Haruhi x All Hosts] OOC, Lemons
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I started this story off of a random idea I had while attending an Ouran discussion panel the other night. I don't have a solid plot arc mapped out yet, just a series of lemon ideas that I want to somehow put into being. That means that any feedback you write will directly influence the story line (I retain the right to cringe and say no to something off the walls crazy), so if you have something you really want to read, let me know! I am not going to jump into a lemon in these first three chapters as I try to set the scene, but after that, free game. That being said, THIS IS NOT MY MAIN STORY, meaning I will only update after receiving feedback as to where you guys want it to go. Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you soon!**

 **Chapter 1**

Haruhi was not surprised to find the waiting area outside airport security empty at this hour of morning. The other passengers from her red eye flight from Boston sleepily scattered to the wind as she paused for a moment to frown at the emptiness. Years ago she had stood in nearly this exact spot saying goodbye to her father and the host club boys. Yet somehow she now stood here alone, void of the boisterous reunion she had long expected waiting for her.

Gripping her carryon, Haruhi took off towards the baggage claim to find her luggage. She wasn't expecting to stay long and had packed to reflect that, but it should be enough to get her through the week. As a successful lawyer in Boston, Haruhi hadn't found time to come home (though her father did make the trip out to visit her several times a year) and even now she had not come back for pleasure. Ritsu Kasanoda, an old friend from her host club days, had called her out of the blue begging for her assistance on a case involving his syndicate. Declining to give her any details, he asked that she come immediately and told her that several people's lives depended on it. It was apparent to Haruhi that something had him scared and it was the first time she had ever heard him so worked up. Agreeing to come as soon as possible, she made the necessary arrangements to leave by the end of the week.

Watching the taxi pull away, Haruhi made her way up to the apartment she once shared with her father. Standing outside of the door, she took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock. She debated if she would be better off finding a café to sit in until a more reasonable hour. If her father was sleeping it would be incredibly rude to wake him. Before she could touch the door though, it sprung open and her father tackled her in a hug.

"Oh Haruhi! I thought you were never going to arrive. Welcome home!" Haruhi hugged her father back and smiled.

"It is good to be home." Pulling away, Ranka Fujioka held his daughter by the shoulders and looked her over. Haruhi's hair had grown fairly long since high school, and though her choice in wardrobe had not improved much, she wore clothes that accented her small feminine curves. Picking up her luggage, Ranka shooed her in and shut the door before their reunion could be crashed by the ever nosy neighbors. Haruhi slipped off her shoes and helped her father move the luggage into her old room before sitting down at their small table. Grabbing two tea cups, Ranka fixed two cups of tea as he asked Haruhi about the flight.

"The flight was good otou-san. I slept most of the way here so I should be fine to go to the meeting this afternoon."

"I didn't really have a chance to talk with you before the flight. What brings you home on such short notice? Is one of those host club boys getting married?"

"No, not that I've heard of. You know I haven't talked with the host club since Tamaki and I had that falling out the day after I arrived in Boston."

"Did you get into some sort of trouble then? I doubt it's from missing me terribly," Ranka replied with sarcastic spite. If that were the case she would have been back years ago when homesickness first struck her. His regular visits helped her feel better until she was on her feet and before long, Haruhi had adapted to the fast moving lifestyle of the United States.

"No trouble at all, just an old friend from high school wanting me to look over a case for him. Typically I would review a case after getting the contents sent to me, but he insisted I come in person to meet with him. It seems something big is going on."

"Well don't get caught up in too much drama and remember that I'll be here if you need me to kick anyone's butt." Haruhi laughed at his serious threat and took another sip of tea. "So how long will you be staying?"

"I took a week off from work, but they are on standby in case I need more time for this case. It's a good thing I finished the Burdett Case right before he called, otherwise it would have taken me quite some time to get over here."

"Yes I remember you telling me about that. I was so worried that their board of directors would retaliate given their known affiliations. Did the company president end up going to jail?"

"Yes, he got sentenced twenty five years for second degree murder," Haruhi finished her tea and stood up, "If you don't mind I'm going to take another nap until the meeting. He should be sending someone to pick me up around three this afternoon."

"Your futon is all made and ready for you. Do you need me to wake you around two so you have time to get ready?" Ranka stood up and took their cups to the sink. Haruhi shook her head no and followed her dad into the kitchen. Wrapping her up in a hug, Ranka let out a sigh, "I just hope you aren't getting into something over your head this time."

"Don't worry about it Dad. I will finish this case up quickly and we can spend the rest of the time together before I have to go back."

The black SUV pulled up to the Kasanoda Family Syndicate at three thirty on the dot. Letting the driver open the door for her, Haruhi stepped out and was surprised to see all of the yakuza lined up on either side of the walkway waiting for her. Passing through their aisle, she walked forward towards the main house. Under normal circumstances, Haruhi would not have thought twice about their greeting, but the air of tension and darting eyes left her uncomfortable. As she approached the entryway, Kasanoda came out to greet her.

"Welcome back, Haruhi. Thank you for coming on such short notice." Exchanging quick hugs, Haruhi removed her shoes and followed his lead into the household. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw the yakuza scattering form, returning to whatever it was they were supposed to be doing. The tension however, remained as people kept looking around on guard. There was no laughter in the syndicate household today.

"I wish it was under better terms Ritsu. How is your wife Mei doing? I am surprised she is not here with you." Ritsu frowned at the mention of his wife's name and slid open a door to an office. Taking a seat across from the desk, Haruhi watched one of his underlings quickly mutter something to him before disappearing. As soon as the door slid shut again, Ritsu let out a sigh and flopped into his chair.

"Mei is staying with her family in Hokkaido until this mess is over. Tetsuya is dead, Haruhi. According to my sources, he was murdered by members of the Sendo syndicate under orders from their new leadership, but I have no way to prove it at the moment. He was supposed to be representing us in the upcoming trial against the Hongo Mercantile Company. Their company embezzled the funds we gave them and used the money to import guns and drugs illegally from the Philippines."

"How much money did you give them?"

"Twenty billion yen." Haruhi let out a soft whistle at such an amount. Ritsu leaned across his desk and handed her a thick manilla folder. Flipping it open, Haurhi skimmed some of the documents.

"Tetsuya told me that he had reason to believe that the Hongo Mercantile Company might be a front for the Sendo syndicate and that we have enough to expose them in court. That was seconds before his head was blown in by a sniper round… I would like you to review the case files and see if you can find whatever it is that he found linking the Hongo Mercantile Company with the Sendo syndicate."

"Are you expecting me to take the case or just give you my professional opinion? I'm dual licensed in Japanese law and American law, but it's been a while since I've taken a Japanese case."

"I have already asked a few other lawyers to review this, but they have refused to take the case since yakuza syndicates are involved. If you would take the case-"

"I'll take it," Haruhi said without looking up from the file. Tetsuya had been a friend, and though not a very close friend, his death still meant something to her. She had played kick the can more than once with him and Ritsu under the blistering summer sun years ago. If there was anything here in his case file, she would find it. Ritsu got up from his seat and bowed deeply to her.

"Haruhi, I can't thank you enough for doing this. I know it will be dangerous, but I promise you we will take the precautions necessary to see that you and your father are safe."

"No need to thank me. Tetsuya was a friend of mine as well. If there is anything I can do to help catch his murderer I will do it," she replied as she closed the file and stood up. "May I take this file with me to review it? It may take me a while to work through all of this."

"Yes, but please keep a close watch on it. We can't have this information falling into the wrong hands." Haruhi nodded her head in agreement and stood up, tucking the file into the briefcase she had brought with her.

"Well now that that is done with, I hope you can take the time to have tea with me and catch up for old times' sake."

"Of course," Haruhi replied with a smile before following him out of the room.

Ritsu and Haruhi sipped on tea and ate sweets in a tatami room overlooking a garden. They spoke about what had happened in their lives since high school, including their romantic endeavors (particularly Haruhi's lack thereof) and his successful marriage. He was not surprised to find out that once Haruhi had left Japan and the host club, she had fallen into studying to the point of a nonexistent social life. Ritsu was curious as to what had separated her from the host club guys when he was certain that each of them had at one point been madly in love with her. Whatever it was, she had blatantly brushed past it gracefully and he was too considerate to ask point blank. He already had plans for her in those regards and nothing she would say could change them at this point. As they began to wrap up their visit, they slowly made their way back to the front entrance.

"Haruhi, I have made separate arrangements for your father's safety. In the meantime, I hope you will consent to staying with some of the strongest people I know."

"All of my luggage is back at my father's house and I don't think it's truly necessary to have me stay elsewhere," Haruhi started to argue. Even when taking high profile mob cases like the Burdett case, she had only suffered under a security detail, nothing more.

"I don't want to risk you ending up like Tetsuya. With the trial opening next Thursday, the safest option is to keep you hidden someplace only I know. The driver will take you to collect your luggage and then drive you to a nearby tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, you will change vehicles and drivers. The new driver will bring you to the safe location. I assure you that you will have all of the finest comforts there." Haruhi opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it at the worry lines etched into Kasanoda's face. He was truly concerned about her safety and if staying at a safe house until the trial was over would make him feel better than so be it.

"I will call you once I am finish sorting through all of these papers," she said softly while giving her briefcase a loving pat. If everything went smoothly, it would probably be a three day trial and a day at a later date for sentencing. She needed to call her firm back in Boston to adjust her schedule accordingly and notify her father of her change in living arrangements for her stay. Ritsu gave her a parting hug and watched her walk through the aisle of his men into the dark SUV waiting at the gate.

"I promise it will be fine, otou-san. As soon as the trial is done, I'll be back and we can spend a few days together," Haruhi called over her shoulder as she handed her luggage to the driver. Ranka wrapped her up in a bear hug and squeezed her tightly. He hated when she took high profile cases that required her to be put under security details. Secretly he wondered who had called upon her for assistance, and considered hunting through his address book for the Ootori boy's phone number. If she wasn't willing to discuss with him what was going on, maybe he knew something of the matter. Even if they weren't on speaking terms for whatever reason, Ranka had a feeling he probably still kept an eye on her. After all, he did fund the scholarship that got Haruhi through college and law school (not that she knew that). Watching Haruhi climb into the black SUV, Ranka waved as she departed before returning to the apartment with a sigh. Why did she have to be so much like her mother?

Haruhi felt her heart begin to race as the car approached the tunnel. For whatever reason, there seemed to be a good amount of traffic on the road. Wasn't there supposed to be no one around for this sort of thing? As they pulled into the tunnel, she spotted a black limo flashing its hazard lights on the side of the road. Her large chocolate eyes flashed with memories of her host club days and riding around with her friends in their limos. The driver had to clear his throat several times to catch her attention.

"Miss, I suggest you grab your bag now. I will pull up behind the limo and then partially cross back into the other lane to give you some coverage from the tunnel entrance. Please hurry into the limo. Your life depends on it." Muttering her thanks to the driver, she felt her palms begin to sweat. It would only take her three steps to get to the limo and take her however many seconds to walk between the vehicles, but his warning was already starting to weigh upon her. The seriousness of the driver and Kasanoda's concern suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She might have been playing with smoke on the Burdett case, but she was definitely playing with fire here.

Haruhi felt the shot of adrenaline hit her as they pulled into position. Throwing open the door, she nearly launched her luggage out before following after it. Letting the door slam shut behind her, Haruhi ran the three steps and grasped the limo door handle. A loud car honk sent her jumping, but luckily her grip on the handle and the motion were enough to yank it open. Stumbling in, she quickly pulled in her luggage and shut the door just as a loud bang reverberated nearby. Haruhi's breath came raggedly as she sat back against the cool leather seat. Looking towards the tinted glass, she wondered if everything was alright when the driver did not start driving. Feeling the hair rise on the back of her neck, the looming fear that this had been a set up began to gain momentum. Crawling forward Haruhi raised her arm to slide open the divider and see if there was even a driver there or if she was a sitting target. An abrupt, forward motion answered her unspoken question and her hand dropped as they pulled out of the tunnel.


	2. Chapter 2

After eating a substantial amount of chocolate and getting dressed down by a fanfiction author I work with, I realized that my previous request was utter bullshit since my reason for publishing my work online at all is for others enjoyment, not the stroking of my ego. I edited my previous message to reflect this. Thanks for putting up with me and I hope you will continue to review anyways.

Good news- I have gotten a second job so now I can start saving for my next trip (maybe a trip back to Japan?).

Bad News-I will now have significantly less time to write, but I will finish this story somehow. I always finish what I start. I haven't decided yet how often I will update this (if I will try and set a schedule to update or just simply post whenever I finish something of reasonable size), but I guess we will find out over the next few weeks.

Special thanks to those of you who wrote reviews and/or made this story one of your favorites. If you can imagine a review being a mushroom in one of the those Mario video games then you can understand how I feel when I read/eat it. Favorites have a special place in my heart as well because it lets me know that not only did you enjoy my work, but it stood out enough to you to be worthy of returning to. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

 **Chapter 2**

Haruhi sat patiently on a cushion in the formal Japanese tatami room. The limo had dropped her off at the entrance of a large Japanese styled mansion and within moments, the household staff swept her away. Keeping her briefcase close, she reluctantly surrendered her luggage to them and waited to meet the owner of the house. A maid had served her tea, but the tension from the earlier car exchange left Haruhi on edge. Staring at the tea and rubbing her hand assuredly over her briefcase, she missed the sound of the door sliding open. It was the movement of someone sitting across from her that startled her from her thoughts.

Takashi Morinozuka, reigning kendo world champion, was scared stiff outside of his own tatami room. The same hands that were callused from years of hard practice and discipline were now shaking at the door's edge. Mori had grown into his tall, muscular frame over the years, making him all the more formidable adversary, but at the moment he quaked from emotional turmoil. Part of him wanted to retreat back to the dojo, which was where he had been relaxing before a maid interrupted with the news of Haruhi's arrival, and put off this meeting just a little longer.

As a security consultant, Mori rarely took personal security details, let alone live-ins, but Kasanoda's plea had moved him. With the recent news of Tetsuya's death, he wasn't surprised when Kasanoda called to ask him if he could protect a lawyer. What had surprised him was that the lawyer was Haruhi. Typically, Mori worked closely with his cousin Honey on all of his cases, but decided the moment he hung up the phone with Kasanoda that it would be better if Honey was not involved. Mori knew how much Honey had loved Haruhi, a love they both shared, and he knew that both of them had suffered greatly after her sudden break from the host club circle. If Haruhi truly felt nothing for them as Tamaki's story had claimed, then the only one hurt would be him for still holding onto hope that there had been some sort of misunderstanding. Tamaki's story never had settled right with him, but the others seemed to accept it readily. He had comforted Honey as they both ached with loss, but somewhere inside he had harbored a suspicion that there was something missing in this puzzle. Even after all this time, he still regularly wondered what had become of her and if she still thought of them like he thought of her so frequently. With her now back in Japan and staying in his home, Mori was determined to get answers and find out what had actually happened to tear away the only female member of the host club.

Mori stood in the doorway drinking in Haruhi's thoughtful appearance. Her large chocolate eyes stared at the tea as her hands nervously fluttered over her briefcase. The suit cut emphasized her small petite features and highlighted the little curves she had. Her brown hair was tied up in a bun a top her head leaving her pale neck free to the eye's wanderings. Taking a hesitant step forward, Mori felt a million emotions swarm through him. Closing the door behind him, she still did not react to his presence. Finally releasing the pressure in his stiff knees, Mori walked over to the pad across from her and sat down. Haruhi finally looked up at him and shock registered across her face. Obviously Kasanoda had left out the minor details that she was to be staying with him until further notice.

"Mori-sempai," she asked as she started to stand up to run away. His responding grunt and piercing eyes halted her motion and she slowly settled back down on the cushion.

"I didn't realize that you and Kasanoda were still good friends." Mori nodded his head once and proceeded to pour himself a cup of tea. He doubted that he would actually drink it, but it gave his hands something else to do while he tried to process everything. Even Haruhi looked visibly shaken by his presence. However, his silent frown of concentration was misinterpreted for disdain in Haruhi's mind and she felt a score of regret for returning to Japan.

"If I had known that he was sending me here, I would have refused his offer. I'm sorry for bothering you. I will take my leave now," she said quietly with a deep bow. Surely she would be fine with a small security detail staying at her father's house. She would head back there until all of this was over and hope that none of the other host club members found her. It was too hard on her to see them and obviously too hard on them to see her.

Standing up, Haruhi's progress to the door was stopped by a firm grab of her hand. Looking back at Mori, Haruhi couldn't completely hide the sadness, loneliness, and confusion she felt. Ever since her argument with Tamaki, none of them had said a word to her and though she took her isolation with acceptance, it was difficult to see Mori and know they were no longer friends. It was easier to repress the emotions they brought her when she didn't have to see them.

"Please stay," Mori said and gently pulled her back into his arms. The moment she had given him her back it had felt like she was walking out of his life again. He was sure that if he let her leave now, he would never see her again. Mori hadn't been thinking when he had closed the distance between them and grabbed her hand. When she turned to him with eyes brimming with tears, he felt his heart ache anew. Wrapping her up in his arms, he could feel her body tremble and the wet drops of tears splatter on his arm. All of his questions and years of pain seemed to fade away to holding the sobbing woman in his arms.

Unsure of what to do as she slowly stopped crying, Mori lifted her up on an arm and walked out of the room. She was still nearly as light as before, but his carry brought a round of protests from her. A grown woman should not be carried around like a small bird atop his arm. When she saw that he wasn't going to put her down anytime soon, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck. Mori brought her to the kitchen and set her down on the counter. Handing her a damp towel to wipe her face with, he pulled out a piece of strawberry short cake from the fridge and set it before her. Sniffling miserably, she thanked him and wiped her face.

"I shouldn't stay here Mori sempai. What if the others find out I'm here? I'm not sure what Tamaki told everyone, but I haven't spoken with anyone from the host club since he left Boston." Taking a forkful of cake, he offered it to her. Frowning at his diversion, Haruhi took the bite and started again. "It's been years- I'm sure everyone has long forgotten about me and moved on with their lives, but I don't want to inconvenience you." Another forkful of cake was shoved in her mouth and Haruhi was forced to stop talking. Chewing it, she finally dragged her eyes from her toes to look at Mori. Time had not changed his rugged handsomeness and caring nature. Guiltily blushing, she accepted another bite of cake.

"The others will understand if they find out. For now, relax and focus on the case. Leave everything else to me."

After settling Haruhi in her room, Mori went to his office to review the protection orders he had gotten from Kasanoda. There would be plenty of time to talk with Haruhi over dinner, but for now he wanted to make sure he knew what they were getting into. His reading was interrupted by a polite knock on his office door.

"Come in," he called out and the door slid open to reveal Kyoya Ootori. Sitting up quickly, Mori closed out the documents as Kyoya closed the door behind him and took a seat on the other side of the desk.

"It's nice to see you again Mori sempai. I suppose you already know why I came to visit." Mori held his firm gaze before giving a nod of acknowledgement. It came as no surprise that Kyoya knew that Haruhi was back in Japan, in fact, he probably knew the moment she bought the ticket to return. He was after all their Shadow King for a reason.

"Did you tell the others," Mori asked.

"Do you think I would have been able to stop Tamaki or the twins if I had? No, they don't need to know for now. We can tell them when the time is right." Mori's relief and silent acceptance was unusual to Kyoya. He had come to force Mori's hand into silence, but now the ever honest Mori was readily agreeing to withhold information away from the rest of the host club? That was as rare as a blue moon. Suddenly, it all made sense to him. "You didn't tell Honey sempai, did you? Oh Mori sempai, this has to be a first."

"He doesn't have to know yet. I have to be sure first."

"Sure that Tamaki's story was correct? And if I tell you it was correct, what would you say?"

"She cried when she saw me. If she didn't care, then she would not have cried." Kyoya paused and adjusted his glasses, debating just how much he should reveal to the quiet senior.

"I was outside of the door when the conversation in question occurred. The things Tamaki quoted to you all were correct, however I believe his interpretation of her words could have been wrong," Kyoya replied slyly.

"Then why…?"

"I didn't want Tamaki to know that I was eavesdropping on what was supposed to be his confession and besides, Haruhi could have reached out at any point over these years to correct this situation. She chose to stay silent and stay away from all of us."

"You let everyone believe that she no longer cared for us," Mori could not hide the anger in his voice. All of this time wasted…

"I needed her to come to terms with herself and that required time away from all of us. Granted, I didn't think it would take her this long to return…" Mori frowned at him and Kyoya sighed before continuing. "If this all plays out according to my plan, Haruhi will not only be back to stay, but she will belong to all of us in a way we had only dreamed about in high school."

A silence enveloped the room as the two men stared each other down. Mori weighed the risks against the obvious trust he had in the man in front of him.

"And if it fails? How does Kasanoda's case play into all of this?"

"I had nothing to do with Kasanoda's request to Haruhi, but it sure as hell was convenient. If we fail, then Haruhi will undoubtedly leave Japan and probably never return again. We won't get a second chance." The responding grunt from Mori was all Kyoya needed. They were on the same page after all, both harboring feelings for the girl that was only rooms away. Standing up, Kyoya and Mori shook hands.

"Don't worry Mori sempai. I won't let her walk away again."


	3. Chapter 3

I still have not created an arc for this story, but I will soon. This is surprisingly more difficult to write than my other story because I know nothing about law and it takes time to research background material. I have decided that I will TRY my best to update this every other Wednesday (if you are reading my main story then it will be on the alternate Wednesdays when I am not posting for that story), but I will not put out if the chapter is not ready. If that happens I will try to reward your patience with an extra long chapter or something.

Thanks to my readers for your continued awesomeness and patience.

 **Chapter 3**

Haruhi was immersed in the case files when she was summoned for dinner. Upon first glance, there was nothing to indicate that the case was anything more than a simple embezzlement case, but that didn't mean there wasn't something in it to support other charges. She could place the additional charges before the trial opened and notify the defendant's lawyer as soon as possible, but then she would risk a delay of trial while the defense fixed its case. Essentially there was almost no time to place the charges if she hoped to finish the trial within the next two weeks. Looking back at the company ledgers and public records Tetsuya had pulled, there didn't appear to be any apparent ties from the Philippine drug and weapon trade to the Sendo syndicate. Obviously there must be something more to it that she was missing. The maid knocked again asking for her to come along for dinner. Hurriedly shoving the case back together, Haruhi put it in her briefcase and slid the safe door open. Locking it as Mori had shown her, Haruhi gave it one last glance before hurrying out the door to the waiting maid.

The fine cut of ootoro filled Haruhi's belly as she sat across from Mori. The dining room was actually her favorite room so far, with one whole wall folding away to open to a traditional Japanese garden. They were just finishing up their quiet meal. Despite his assurances that she should stay, Haruhi could see that Mori was troubled over something. When she inquired what was on his mind, he simply shook his head and continued eating.

"Would you go for a walk in the garden with me?" Mori looked up at her for the first time since dinner began. Giving her a small smile, he mumbled in agreement before standing up. Together they walked outside and slowly began a loop side-by-side through the garden. As dark clouds began rolling in, Haruhi tried to think of what to say. There were a million things she wanted to ask, yet her mouth stayed firmly shut. What had Mori been doing for the past few years? Why was he willing to talk to her now and break the silence that had spanned an ocean? What was he thinking now, walking beside her here in silence? Before she could manage to say anything, a maid came out telling Mori that one Tamaki Suoh was on the line. Haruhi felt herself freeze and tense up as he nodded in acknowledgement to the maid. As she ran an awkward hand through her hair, Haruhi smiled at Mori as he started to open his mouth to apologize. Waving his apology away, she continued smiling.

"Don't worry about it, Mori sempai. I'm just grateful that we had time to have dinner together and have a walk. I should head back to my room anyways." Giving him a halfhearted wave, Haruhi hurried away back towards her room. As she turned the corner, she could see him walking quickly in the direction the maid had appeared from.

A peal of thunder followed by a bright flash woke Mori from his peaceful sleep. He prepared to roll over and continue sleeping when another peal of thunder hit along with the thought of Haruhi. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, the covers pooled around Mori's toned waist. Not bothering with a shirt, he got out of bed and silently began walking towards Haruhi's room. If there was a storm then surely Haruhi would be suffering and need some company. He had seen firsthand how badly she could shut down when a storm was nearby. Approaching her door, he didn't bother knocking as he slid it open.

A jolt of fear ran through him at the empty room and Mori quickly walked forward to check the closet and under the bed. Haruhi was definitely not in her room and from the state of the safe, neither were the files.

Across town, the thunder was keeping up a particular blonde as he laid in bed staring out the window. His violet eyes were sad as he watched the rain come down outside and he couldn't help but let out a sigh. Tamaki always thought of Haruhi whenever there was a storm. Shifting slightly in his sleep, Kyoya squeezed Tamaki a little tighter. Kyoya had kept Tamaki distracted with all sorts of pleasurable activities for most of the night, but couldn't help succumbing to sleep afterwards. Tamaki ran his fingers through the Shadow King's hair and held him close. Some days he wished that he hadn't been such a fool when he was around Haruhi. Trying to disguise his love for her as fatherly affection had been the dumbest thing he could do, but it gave him excuses to hold her close without making her wary. All he wanted was to love her, but she rejected him instead. Turning away from the window, Tamaki felt himself relive the moment he had crashed through her apartment door a day after she had left for Boston.

…TAMAKI'S FLASHBACK…

"Haruhi, my loving daughter, where are you," he called out happily as he put his bag down in the living room. He had left on a flight to Boston shortly after saying goodbye to her and picking up a spare key from Kyoya (he was the Shadow King for a reason). It was going to be a surprise, but he had convinced his father to let him come in person to check on the affairs of a close business acquaintance so he could stay with her for several weeks. It would only be the two of them for the next few weeks and in that time, Tamaki wanted to confess. If all worked out with the business acquaintance, Tamaki could move to Boston with the rest of the hosts at the end of the month. He loved Haruhi more than the world itself, and he wanted her to join the little family that he had created with Kyoya.

Long before Haruhi had arrived on scene, Kyoya and Tamaki had been seeing each other regularly in secret. Initially, it put a strain on their relationship when both boys had fallen in love with her. Kyoya was especially troubled with the idea of loving more than one person, but to Tamaki it all made sense. He could love both of them equally and the three of them would become the loving family he had been searching for. Convincing Kyoya that it would be possible had taken until a few days before graduation, but now he was ready to act. He was going to convince Haruhi that they loved her and get a promise that when she returns to Japan at the end of her studies, she would become a family with them. Until then they, along with every other member of the host club, would visit regularly to see her. Tamaki's mind theater was interrupted by Haruhi walking into the room in a pair of tight ripped jeans and a baggy t-shirt.

"Sempai? What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here." Tamaki couldn't help himself from hurrying forward to grab her in a bear hug and swing her around. It's not like Mori was there to stop him now.

"I didn't want to leave my beautiful daughter here alone in a dangerous foreign country! The fearsome America! Don't worry Haruhi, Father will save you from the pizza, burgers, and ice cream!" The muffled sounds of sempai, you're crushing me reached his ears and he quickly put her back down. "The others will arrive soon as well and we can all be a loving family together again!"

Haruhi's shout of no and the look of horror on her face stopped Tamaki cold in his tracks. She continued on with heated annoyance, "No, sempai. You must tell them not to come…I don't think of you guys like that."

"What do you mean, Haruhi? I'm the father, Kyoya's the mommy-"

"I don't think of you as a father at all!" The sudden rise in her voice and her sheer anger cut through any veil Tamaki had tried to throw over it. "I don't love you as a father and…I don't love any of you like that."

Tamaki's head spun with her words. This was not the joyful reunion he had been expecting. In fact, she seemed outright angry to see him. However, her last words cut him right to the core. She didn't love them, any of them. Suddenly, her actions made sense in a frightening way. Haruhi had left the country the moment she graduated and her debt was forgiven. Could she have possibly been trying to escape them by starting a new life abroad? No…not his Haruhi, Tamaki mentally reasoned, there had to be something else.

"Look, Tamaki sempai, I need to do things on my own. I can't have you rich bastards here doing everything for me."

"We won't be a bother. The twins will stay in the apartment next door, Kyoya and I can move in to the apartment across the hallway, and Mori and Honey can move into the apartment on the other side of you. We will be there when you need us. It might take us some time to get everything arranged since you did catch us out of the blue with this move," Tamaki rambled on. Haruhi ran a frustrated hand through her hair. He wasn't getting the message. It was going to take more than subtle word play to get him to leave.

"Sempai, do you know why I left Japan?" Tamaki felt his fear rise at her question.

"To further your studies so you can get a good job when you return."

"Yes, to further my studies. To further my studies without the concern of having any of you guys waltz through my door with distractions. High school is over and the host club has dissolved. Go back to Japan Tamaki, and tell the others not to bother me either." Tamaki stood there in shock and hurt. He wanted to go into the corner and grow some mushrooms, but her firm glare kept him rooted. Walking past him, she picked up his suitcase and put it beside her door.

"I thought we were all friends," Tamaki trailed off, "friends stay close and take care of each other."

"I don't need anyone to take care of me. You guys have done plenty. Now let me live my life in peace!"

"Don't you think the others will feel hurt when I tell them you don't want to be with us any longer? Do you know how I feel?"

"I don't care how you guys feel. I've had enough!" Haruhi's last burst finally cut through Tamaki's resilient pride. She didn't care about them…She had left them behind and was trying to start over.

"Fine then," Tamaki raised his voice to match her own, "I hope you are happy Haruhi because you will be alone. I will let the others know and we won't ever bother you again." Walking over to his bag, he picked it up and looked back at her. For someone yelling at him to leave, she looked oddly close to tears. Her expression as he turned his back on her and opened the door would continue to haunt him for the years to come. "Goodbye Fujioka-san."

…..END of FLASHBACK ….…

Haruhi's head jerked up at the sound of the door sliding open. Mori took in her exhausted, but calm appearance. Her brown hair was mussed, as if she had run her fingers through it countless times since he had last seen her, and her skin pale in the moonlight. The single candle on the floor revealed the case file, spread naked under her dutiful examination, and a notepad covered in thoughts. When he found that Haruhi was not in her room, his first thought was to wake the staff to search the mansion. However, as he thought about what he knew of Haruhi, he decided to check each room that he knew she had been to first. As he had guessed, she had taken shelter in the dining room. Mori had expected to find her curled up under the table, but she sat stiffly over her work. Understanding flashed through her eyes as she saw him in his obvious state of undress and concern.

"I've gotten over my fear of thunderstorms…I just can't sleep through them."

"How?" Mori walked over and looked over her shoulder at the case. She picked up the scattered files and began placing them back into their case file. In her exhaustion, all she was doing was running loops around herself. It wasn't like she was going to make more progress tonight.

"My roommate in Boston helped me get over it. The only thing I couldn't get past was sleeping. I can't sleep if I'm alone and it's storming out. On nights when a storm would come, my roommate and I would sleep together so that I would be able to sleep through the night. When we went our separate ways and I lived alone, I just worked through the night whenever there was a storm." Haruhi closed the case file and sat back with a yawn. Mori picked up her notebook and case file before tucking it under his arm. He offered her his hand and a moment of question passed between them.

"Come with me and rest," he spoke softly. In the back of her mind, a small voice was warning her not to do this. She couldn't fall in love with him, with any of them again. It had taken years of self-exile and loneliness to get over her feelings for all of them and she wasn't about to let any of them undo it. Exhaustion and curiosity warred with reason. Hesitantly, she placed her small hand in his far larger one and stood up. Snuffing out the candle with her free hand, Haruhi let Mori lead her away.


	4. Chapter 4

Since I had the chapter ready, I thought I would post it to begin my now every other Wednesday update routine. I have sketched out a plot arc and though it seems fairly short, I believe it will be eventually fruitful (lemons are a fruit, get it? *laughs in background only to realize the joke was poorly made*). Thanks for your continued support.

 **Chapter 4**

Mori cupped his empty palms towards the sky and let out a deep breath as he slid into the next stance. The morning sun shined down on his sweaty bare back, and his feet were firmly planted on the porch. Focusing his body on each individual motion, he continued his meditation and practice. Behind his closed eyes however, he was replaying the previous events in his head…

After putting the case file away securely in his safe, Mori turned back to Haruhi, who stood staring in protest at his bed. He couldn't tell her honestly that he had been wanting to have her in his bed for a number of years. Everything seemed to be moving so fast now that she was here.

"We both need sleep. I promise I will not do anything to you." Slipping into his side of the bed, he turned off the light and rolled over so his back was to her. If she didn't want to get in, that's ok, as long as she was nearby and safe, but the choice was hers. Minutes seemed to roll by as he waited for her choice. Did she still trust him after all this time? The sound of buttons coming undone and fabric sliding to the floor perked his curiosity, but he refused to turn around and stare. Finally, he felt the mattress tip under the added weight and the blankets shift as she got under them. He could feel the warmth of her body leaking out into space between them and before long, he was fast asleep.

Mori awoke shortly before sunrise, as he always did, and was surprised to find himself tangled up. Haruhi's head was nestled on his chest, her arm draped around his middle and one of her legs tossed over his own. One of his hands was holding her tightly to him and the other was woven into her hair. Sighing in her sleep, Haruhi pushed even closer to him and Mori felt his morning arousal thump against her thigh in delight to her inadvertent attentions. Torn between pleasure, awkwardness, longing, and guiltiness, Mori tried to gently disentangle himself without waking Haruhi. After making a successful escape, he looked back at the beautiful sleeping girl on his bed. There had never been a sight more beautiful in his mind. Hair splayed out across the pillow, mouth slightly opened in sleep, her black camisole skewed upwards to show her flat belly, and the blankets falling low across her hips giving the appearance of nothing underneath… Mori mentally saved the image into his mind.

Trying to calm the pressure in his groin, he walked the two steps to his porch and began his usual meditation practice with the sunrise. Sweat began to pour down his back as he held the more difficult stances, but any burn he could have been feeling from the exercise was miniscule in comparison to the other fire raging. Mentally berating himself for not having better discipline, Mori considered the only alternative. He could finish himself off in the shower and nobody would be any wiser. As he prepared to give up on the meditation exercises, Mori heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. Angling his body so she wouldn't be able to see his struggle, he heard her stop. Opening his eyes to the beautiful garden in front of him, Mori waited for her to speak as he focused on his breathing.

"Thank you for last night, sempai."

"Call me Takashi. After last night, we should be nothing less." Haruhi's silence made Mori wonder if he pushed for too much. Turning around to look at her, he felt his breath leave his chest. She had picked up her button up shirt from where she had left it the night before and held it closed over her ample chest. Haruhi was looking down at her feet with the slightest red blush across her cheeks. Repeating his name quietly to herself, Mori felt himself blush at the way she called his name. He caught himself staring at her lips as her eyes finally came up to meet his. Glancing at her large brown eyes, he gave her a short nod with a smile.

"If you will excuse me, I am going to go get ready for the day. I'll stop by after breakfast to pick up the file." Mori nodded dumbly in acknowledgement and watched her begin to walk away.

"Haruhi, why did you tell Tamaki that you didn't care about us anymore? I know you lied to him." She frowned delicately and looked away from him. It's not like he would understand the position she was in at that time. Swimming in all of those feelings for her best friends and feeling guilt that she loved all of them in a manner that she should not. She wanted all of them and when they vied with each other for her attention, she realized that she could not choose. She could not choose just one when her heart belonged to all of them. Haruhi had taken the coward's way out and that was to leave and never look back.

"I did what was best for myself at that time. I'm sorry." Mori saw the regret plastered in her expression and felt sorry for asking the unspoken question that had laid between them since her arrival. As the silence resumed, she continued to the door.

"I forgive you," he spoke gently. She paused at his words before continuing out of the room. Giving up his position on the porch, Mori hurried to the bathroom. Self-gratification was a weakness he would accept for today.

"Ritsu-kun, I need you to get me everything you can find on Tetsuya's life, as well as any information that has been found in his murder investigation. I think the connection he found was from his time with the Sendo Syndicate or his family life." Mori looked over his desk at Haruhi as she looked at the phone on his desk. At some point she had had an epiphany after lunch and came running to him, asking for help reaching Kasanoda. Now they sat on speakerphone with Kasanoda in his office.

"Getting the police's cooperation in sharing the investigation results could be slightly difficult, but I'll see what my men can do. I can get the information together by Friday morning, but the better question is how to get that information to you without revealing your position or having the information hacked. I'm fairly sure I am being watched here."

"The host club is hosting an alumni masquerade on Friday night at Ouran. I can have Kyoya send you an invitation like any other of our guests."

"Then I could come and hand off the information to you or Haruhi in person. Good plan, Mori sempai." Haruhi's eyes darted up to Mori's as he began typing up the email to Kyoya and she finished the phone call with Kasanoda. As soon as the phone call ended, she waited patiently for Mori to finish his email before speaking.

"That is what Tamaki called for the other day, isn't it? He was calling to tell you that he was throwing an alumni masquerade and give you the details so you could attend." Mori's grunt of confirmation gave Haruhi chills. She should not be going to this party.

"Well I hope you have fun at the party. I will continue my work here in your absence," she said as she stood up to leave.

"You should come. We can hide you in plain sight at the masquerade."

"I think I'm more scared of being found by the other host club members than I am of getting assassinated by the yakuza," Haruhi half-heartedly joked.

"The others were hurt when you left, but if they knew what you had gotten yourself into with this case..." Mori didn't have to finish his statement for Haruhi to understand his meaning. If she were truly in danger, they would probably come to her aid and subsequently demand an answer for her behavior these past few years. That's just who the host club was.

"They don't need to know that I'm back in Japan and flying under the radar right in front of them would be a gamble I'm not willing to take."

Friday evening Haruhi found herself eating her own words and muttering about the preposterous risk this was as she got ready. Over the past several days, Takashi and Haruhi had been catching up on what had happened in each other's lives when she wasn't nose deep in the case file. She finally ran out of excuses for not attending the masquerade late Thursday night (surprising how a man of such few words can null and void every argument she threw at him). As if he had predicted her eventual acceptance, Takashi had already ordered a red ball gown with a modest cut that accented her beauty. One of the maids silently finished putting her hair up with glittering ruby hairpins that matched the necklace, earrings, and bracelets that she wore. The entire outfit screamed of the opulence she had experienced briefly in high school. When Takashi had laid the boxes open on her bed earlier that afternoon, she had put her foot down saying that it was too much. The only way he could get her to agree to wear all of it was to say she was only borrowing it and that he would return everything first thing in the morning. Donning her black and red mask, Haruhi looked at her reflection in the mirror. Tonight, she was going to be undercover as a princess among the many princesses of Ouran.

"There has been a change in plans," Takashi said as he entered into Haruhi's room. Turning to face him, Mori felt his breath catch at the sight of her. Haruhi's long legs were in full view through the sheer flowing material of the ball gown. Her hair was pulled up intricately atop her head and the rubies shimmered in the dim lighting. The delicate fabrics of her mask and its attached veil covered all of her face, leaving only her eyes to open view. The smirk of her lush lips was barely visible through the veil. "Mitsukuni just arrived saying we can ride together to tonight's event. It will cause suspicion if I tell him no since he is already here. I have arranged for my limo to take you shortly after I leave."

Haruhi smiled at him in understanding and with a parting glance, he hurried away. Tracing a finger over her invitation, she saw the name of her alias for the night- Hana Watanabe. Her challenge for the evening was to stay within easy range of Mori and to enjoy herself as they both waited for Kasanoda to arrive with information. Once she attained the information, she could head back to the limo and return to the house. Sitting down on the bed, Haruhi carefully slipped on the low black heels that were to go with her dress.

"Miss Fujioka, we are ready for you now," the butler addressed her from the doorway with a deep bow. Thanking him, she followed him out to the limo and with a nod to the young driver, got in. As they began to pull away, Haruhi stared out the window at the city landscape passing by. A sense of nostalgia struck as they pulled into Ouran and followed the train of limos dropping off guests at the front entrance. The campus was dazzling in light, probably in honor of the party. Allowing the driver to help her out of the limo, Haruhi handed her invitation to the doorman so he could announce her to the rest of the ballroom.

Women were floating around like colorful masked peacocks around the ballroom, awaiting the beginning of the party. Standing off to the side, she recognized several of her old guests and classmates talking around the room. As the bell tolled eight, the six hosts appeared at the top of the stairs making a grand entrance. Everyone clapped and cheered at their arrival, but all Haruhi could think of was how terribly vulnerable she felt. The hosts stood along the stairs as Tamaki spoke a few words of welcome to begin the masquerade. His words were lost on her as she focused completely on the velvet sound of his voice. Cheers followed his announcement and the band began playing music as the hosts entered the crowd. Making her way slowly around the room, Haruhi approached the group of girls surrounding Mori and Honey.

Mitsukuni Haninozuka had grown to the same height as Haruhi in their time apart, but still looked awfully young for his age. His heartbreak had brought him a sense of maturity and though he still loved cute things, he found himself growing apart from them. Cake, on the other hand, was there to stay…forever and ever and ever. Honey had been away for business in South Korea for the past week and was happy to return in time for the masquerade. Despite Mori saying nothing unusual, Honey had the slightest feeling that something was off with his cousin. When he arrived to pick him up for the masquerade, Mori had seemed on edge as if he were on guard from something other than his younger brother. Deciding he would ask him about it later, Honey tried to focus on the lovely ladies surrounding him and not on the cake slices in their hands.

After making eye contact with Mori, Haruhi proceeded to the buffet table to enjoy herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she kept an eye on all of the hosts. Tamaki and the twins were busy dancing with guests as Kyoya made small talk with potential business partners by the chairs. Amongst the gossiping girls, Haruhi could hear her name mentioned in passing, asking why she wasn't there and if she was still in Boston. Renge was flitting around the room, trying to talk to everyone about the upcoming otome game convention she was going to be attending. As she threw away her empty plate, Haruhi saw Renge moving in on her with a gleam in her eye. Walking away quickly, she could hear Renge pursuing after her. Left with no other choice, Haruhi slipped out onto the dance floor where the band was calling for a waltz circle mixer. Though it had been several years since she had last waltzed, Haruhi felt the challenge of dancing was less daunting than trying to pull a fast one on Renge. How else was she going to pass the time waiting for Kasanoda and avoid Renge? It wasn't like she could really talk to any of the other girls comfortably and use them as a shield. Getting into place with a young man she did not recognize, the music began and around they spun.

Tamaki opened his hand to accept the next girl's hand. She was dressed beautifully in a red ball gown that flowed each time she spun. Though she seemed to hesitate, (it must be my beauty he thought) he took her hand readily and began their waltz. He considered asking her name and starting a conversation, but chose instead to stay silent. Her large brown eyes and sparrow frame reminded him of Haruhi, and that was enough to take his mind elsewhere. Haruhi should be here right now, dancing the night away in his arms. God only knows what she was doing in Boston right now. Probably happily working hard on some big shot case at a top notch law firm he thought. Handing the girl off to Kaoru, Tamaki felt his eyes trail after her. She seemed fairly quiet for one of their old guests, but perhaps she needed a little extra attention to make her smile. Maybe he should go talk to her afterwards if another host or male alumni did not pick her up.

"Hello beautiful," Kaoru greeted her as he pulled her a little too close. Haruhi cocked her head down in a shy manner so he couldn't see her roll her eyes at him. "Are you having a great time tonight?"

She smiled at him and nodded her head. The masquerade was exciting with the fancy tuna and dancing, but brought a long a sense of nostalgia. She missed dancing with all of the hosts and their usual antics. Rather than approach any of them, she decided to soak in the nostalgia in a different way. When this mixer was done, Haruhi was going to give Mori a heads up and go pay a visit to the old host club room to see what had become of it when all of the hosts graduated. Kaoru passed her off to Hikaru for the final waltz of the mixer.

Hikaru took the last girl from Kaoru and began the dance with her. She seemed to be looking at anything but him, getting on his nerves. He was her partner right now, there was no reason she shouldn't be looking only at him.

"You know they save the best for last, right? But I bet you don't even know which twin I am." This time Haruhi didn't bother to cover her eye roll and small snort. Most people would have interpreted her reaction as being rude, but Hikaru took it as sauciness and a challenge. Spinning her out a little farther than necessary, he brought her in much closer. Getting a better feel for her body, he felt annoyance when his mind began comparing her to Haruhi. A little too much curve to be Haruhi, but maybe if the lights were off and a little more alcohol…He gave her a little more distance only to find her large brown eyes staring at him. Finally having the weight of her roving gaze on him, Hikaru felt a small blush cover his cheeks. "If you guess right, I will give you an exclusive VIP pass to the after party at the old Tokyo Tower."

Haruhi shook her head no and they broke apart as the mixer ended. Receiving her mandatory curtsy, he bowed in return. As she rose to walk away, he grabbed her arm stopping her.

"Are you not going to say anything," he asked irately. Kaoru grabbed his brother's arm and gave it a squeeze.

"Just let her go. I apologize for his behavior my lady." Hikaru released her and hmphed loudly before walking slowly away with his brother.

"You always were the annoying twin, Hikaru," Haruhi muttered a loud as she walked off towards Mori. Behind her, Hikaru turned around shell shocked. The girl had not only guessed right, but sounded exactly like Haruhi! Taking two steps in the direction she had disappeared in, Hikaru was stopped by his brother.

"Don't make a scene here, Hikaru. For one night, just please let the girl go. You can chase after Haruhi look-alikes any other day, but please give me a break today. This is hard enough already." Hikaru opened his mouth to protest. That girl really had sounded like Haruhi and he bet that if he took her mask off, she would close enough alike..."Please Hikaru."

"Fine," he muttered reluctantly. Part of him knew he was chasing shadows anyways. Haruhi had taken a part of both of them when she left and no matter what girl he threw into bed with him and Kaoru, it never filled the hole left behind.


	5. Chapter 5

I would like to leave a disclaimer that I do not know French and any attempt at it on my part is via online translating sites so I apologize if it is way off. I put what I intended for it to say in English in parenthesis after it. If anyone wants to message me with a more accurate translation, I will happily update it. I am posting this chapter early because a. I finished it last weekend and have already started on the next chapter and b. because I need to work on my main story now and didn't want to worry about missing this Wednesday's deadline. Real life kicked my ass this past 1.5 weeks so I am going to go down to the river on Sunday to center myself before I start writing again for anything. My apologies to those who follow my other story for the delay, but I will not put out something I am not content with.

Thanks again to all of the awesome people who follow/favorite/review/message/etc!

 **Chapter 5**

Haruhi walked around the empty host club as the memories of her high school days swirled around her. Here was the place that Ayanokoji flipped the table and the twins poured water on her. There was the place that Honey and Mori would sit on the sofas and eat their cake. So many memories in one room…

"I'm surprised you had the balls to show up tonight, Haruhi." Twisting around in surprise, Haruhi stared at the shape materializing from the shadows by the door. Kyoya's glasses glinted in the moonlight as he walked towards her. "There is no point in trying to lie your way out of this. I've known where you were and what you've been doing since the moment you stumbled into the host club."

Of course Kyoya would know everything, he was the Shadow King after all. Leaning back against the edge of the window, Haruhi felt like a rabbit about to be struck down by a hawk. He was right though, there was no point in lying when he already knew.

"It is nice to see you again as well, Kyoya-sempai," she said carefully. He moved towards her purposefully and for some reason, Haruhi felt herself grow tense as she noticed the absence of the black notebook he always carried back in high school. As he stepped into the light, she could see him better. His black tailored suit accented his tall, lean build and matched his raven black hair. The years had been brought maturity and Haruhi had to admit that he looked even more handsome now than he had in high school.

"Let's get back to business, shall we? I don't want Mori-sempai thinking I've kidnaped you." Haruhi felt her suspicion confirmed as he spoke. Kyoya knew that she was staying with Mori and probably why she was back to begin with. Was he still in contact with her father after all of these years? "Did running away clear your conscious?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Haruhi spoke hesitantly as she felt fear rising in the back of her throat. Kyoya moved closer, only two steps away from her now tense position on the window sill.

"Don't play coy, Haruhi. I was there the night you told your father the real reason you were leaving for Boston. Lucky for me, you chose the living room to make your case instead of the kitchen." Haruhi felt her eyes widen and she gripped the window sill tightly. She remembered that night clearly. It was the night that she had shown the acceptance letter to her father and came clean about holding feelings for all of the hosts. Ranka had told her it was ok to love more than one person, but all she could think of was how wrong it was. They were her best friends and as each vied for her attention, she realized she couldn't choose only one. She loved all of them and though it may be considered greedy of her, she wanted all of them, in ways that she couldn't have. How could she explain to her best friends that she wanted something more than friendship with all of them? Seeing them every day and maintaining the correct distance for friendship became harder. She was either going to have to be honest with them about her feelings, probably destroying their friendships in the process, or simply leave them until she could purge herself of these feelings. Haruhi had chosen to run, as she had told her father that night, but it had not given her much relief.

"What did you hear that night?" Kyoya finally closed the distance between them. Letting his body hover over hers, he put his hands on either side of the sill she rested on. Haruhi could feel the heat of his body radiating towards hers.

"You were hiding your feelings for all of us and decided to be a coward and run away rather than face us. If you had just been honest with everyone, we wouldn't be in this position now. So tell me Haruhi, did leaving wipe away your illicit feelings?"

"Yes, I've moved on with my life. I'm not the same girl I was before." Kyoya leaned back from her and laughed. If she wasn't tense before, she was now.

"Didn't I tell you that lying wouldn't help? Denying it will only satisfy you for so long," Kyoya snapped as he recalled his own hesitance in the matter, "If you really had moved on, you would have tried dating. If you had truly moved on, then I would have let you go and not waited for this day to come. But you didn't-"

"You are wrong! I don't feel that way about any of you anymore." Kyoya paused at her words and smirked as he readjusted his glasses. He was going to have to change his tactics if he was going to succeed.

"I see… Then I hope you don't mind me settling our remaining affairs before you leave. You see Haruhi, you broke quite a few hearts when you left. Cleaning up the mess you made when you left for your little getaway was quite difficult for me. Keeping silent to the others so you wouldn't get caught…you owe me."

"I owe you nothing sempai. I never asked for you to cover for me."

"Since you were willing to leave the country to escape us and stomp Tamaki's heart to keep everyone away, the least I could do was keep your secret. You were desperate and confused, but I had faith that you would come to terms with it. Besides, if the others knew what really sent you away, they would never leave you alone. I could simply tell them now and your perfect little life in Boston would be interrupted. Or you could pay me back by fulfilling one little task for me." Haruhi felt the weight of his words against her hammering heart. Letting her head drop, she asked quietly what did he want. Kyoya took a single finger and lifted her head to face him. Removing her mask with ease, he drank in her appearance. His sources had been giving him pictures for years, but it was completely different to have her actually there in person. Setting his glasses aside, he rubbed a hand against the bridge of his nose as he considered what he was about to do. Letting his body press against her, he cupped her face gently with one hand as his other wrapped around her waist. "I want you to remember exactly what you claim to have forgotten."

Leaning down, Kyoya crashed his lips against hers and felt her tense up beneath him. Pulling her tighter to him, he moved his lips against hers and put all the years of his frustration into it. Haruhi's lips gave away and she began to timidly kiss him back. Demanding that she respond to his advance, he pushed for entrance into her mouth and when she finally opened, he took the advantage. She dropped slightly as her knees gave out, but Kyoya had her pinned tightly between his body and the window. Readjusting her legs slightly to go around his waist, he heard her small breathy moan of pleasure as he moved against her. That sound alone made him want to lift her dress up and ravish her against the window, but now was not the moment. He only had to make her remember and leave her burning for more. He needed to start the cascade that would bring her back to them, bring her back to him, and make it so she could never leave them again. Pulling away from the kiss, Kyoya smirked as he retrieved his glasses. The image of Haruhi's ravaged lips and flushed cheeks were worth the slap she put across his face. Stepping back he held a cool hand to his reddening cheek.

"How dare you! After all I've done to forget, why would you try to put it all to waste?!" Kyoya nearly groaned in frustration. He loved the fight in her, but sometimes he wished she would just lie down and accept everything he wanted to give her.

"Why can't you accept it? Accept that you love all of us and have missed us terribly? Accept that you haven't moved on? Why won't you just give in and be with us? All of us would take you any way we could have you, especially Tamaki and I!" Haruhi stared at him in horror before grasping her mask and putting it back on. Her hands shook gently as she tied the strings back into place. Using the small gap between them, Haruhi pushed past him towards the door. Tears threatened to fall as her heart resounded painfully. Kyoya watched on as Haruhi approached the door.

"We love you, Haruhi. Time won't change that." She let the door slam shut behind her. The threatening tears finally became a flood and Haruhi ran without thought. She had to get away from here, away from him, away from these feelings.

Tamaki stepped back from the kitchen door and tried to shut his gaping mouth. He had run up to the old host club kitchen to grab the special strawberry short cake he had prepared for Honey sempai when he had heard voices outside. Recognizing Kyoya's voice, he leaned his ear against the door and listened to the conversation at hand. His mind and heart were in turmoil as it tried to process everything that was going down. It all went against what he had come to accept as reality, a reality where Haruhi had never truly cared for any of them. As soon as he heard the host club door close a second time, he walked out and escaped, cake forgotten. There was something far more important at hand that he must do and that was find Haruhi.

Haruhi sat down on the fountain's edge and removed her mask so she could wipe away the free falling tears. Logic argued against the swirling feelings rising in her chest and the guilt she felt deepened as she realized how badly she had hurt the hosts by pushing them away. Looking away from the hedge maze in front of her, Haruhi finally recognized where she was. This was the same fountain that Tamaki had fished her wallet out of it after her bag had been thrown into it. Chuckling beneath her tears, she let herself laugh at the irony of it. If they had all wanted her and would agree to share her, would she have stayed? Would she have let them throw away their wealth and status in society to be with her in such a manner? Everything was so complicated… The sound of footsteps approaching from behind her were muffled by the roar of the falling water.

"Mon amour, vous êtes-vous finalement rentrer? (My love, have you finally come home?)" The unfamiliar sounds of French spoken softly in his warm voice interrupted her thoughts. Reaching over quickly, she put her mask on before turning to stand and face him. Tamaki looked dashing in his French admiral's uniform, just as he had earlier that night when she had danced with him. His golden hair glimmered in the moonlight and his violet eyes pierced hers with an intensity that only came when he was being truly serious. His usual air of carelessness was gone as he focused on her, eyes watering as he looked at her in new light. Stopping just a step away from her, he considered all of the words he had longed to say to her over these years before speaking.

Her eyes darted from him to a dark shadow moving on the rooftop behind them and that's when Haruhi realized her mistake. She had taken her mask off outside in the open. Haruhi didn't take time to think as she shoved Tamaki out of the way and into the fountain. The incoming bullet would have gone straight through his chest into hers, but with her movement, it only grazed her arm.

"Tamaki, run," she yelled over her shoulder as she ran for the hedge maze. Disappearing into the maze, Haruhi ran as fast as she could, holding up her gown in her hands. Tamaki lost sight of her within seconds as her flowing red gown disappeared into the green, but the sound of more gunshots rang out. Jumping out of the fountain, Tamaki didn't stop to think as he ran after her into the maze. Calling her name out, he tried to catch a glimpse of her as he ran, but she was nowhere to be found. Coming upon the gazebo they had once hidden at, Tamaki felt his heart race at the small trail of blood droplets leading up to the table. Looking underneath, Tamaki clutched his chest as he had the heart attack of a lifetime. Shreds of Haruhi's bright red dress lay beneath the table alongside her shoes and mask, but Haruhi was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

There appears to be no actual Wednesday updates in me. It is either Tuesday at midnight or in the wee hours of Thursday morning. On the bright side, I have been accepted to medical school so starting this fall I will be busy with that. The idealistic part of me wants to finish both this story and my main story by the end of the summer so I won't have anything to update regularly once classes kick off, but that would require much longer chapters. *cheers to longer chapters*

Thanks for the continued support. You guys are the best!

 **Chapter 6**

Haruhi ran as fast as she could towards the limo, where her driver stood outside staring at her. For someone who was supposed to be waiting for her beck and call to leave, he seemed terribly flustered to see her.

"Miss Fujioka," he asked confused as he took in her distraught appearance. She had abandoned the awkward heels and vision impairing mask when she had stopped to tear her dress. Destroying the dress seemed a sin, but she needed something to stop the bleeding and the flowing fabric was getting in the way of her running.

"Take me back to the Morinozuka estate, please," she said jumping into the back seat before he could walk around to open it. Slamming the door shut, Haruhi caught her breath as she leaned back against the cold leather. The limo started forward and Haruhi felt relief sweep through her as they pulled away from the school. In the distance, she could see the black onion squad and campus security moving in on the area where she had spotted the sniper. Thanking the gods that she had moved quickly enough to save both Tamaki and herself, she took a quick look at her arm. The makeshift bandage seemed to be holding, but it was hard to tell with the red colored fabric. The other shots had missed her by inches as she ran, but Haruhi was almost grateful that they hadn't been trying to shoot Tamaki. At least he was safe from this whole mess. Haruhi's true regret was leaving her wallet and cell phone at home. She had opted to carry nothing but her mask, with the intention of not leaving Mori's side the entire night, but here she was with nothing. What a heavy price to pay for a trip down memory lane, she muttered to herself. If she hadn't gone to the host club room, none of this would have ever happened. Part of her mocked the irony of it all. If she hadn't stumbled into the host club room back in high school then she probably would not have joined them and had the time of her life. The limo jolted slightly as the back tire hit a curb, and Haruhi looked up to see where they were. Though she wasn't a hundred percent sure she knew the way back to the safe house, Haruhi had the gut dropping feeling that this was not the way. The limo was heading into the depths of the city and the estate had most definitely been tucked on the outskirts of a rich neighborhood outside town. Dropping down to her knees, Haruhi crawled forward and put her ear against the divider.

"I've got her now and am in route to the destination. The bonus money better be worth me losing my job with the Morinozuka clan," the driver's hushed voice threatened. Haruhi sat back and felt herself panic for a second. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she collected herself before reaching for the bottle of chilled champagne propped in the ice bucket. It was better than nothing in regards to a weapon, but she hoped that she wouldn't have to use it. Moving back towards the door, Haruhi waited for a stop light before throwing open the door and running full throttle into the alleyway. The beeping of an open door struck terror into the driver's heart as he threw open the divider. His worst fears were confirmed as he caught a glance of the empty backside of the limo. Even Haruhi heard the string of curses he yelled then as she expanded the distance between them.

Haruhi was tired of running. She had run through the hedge maze earlier that night and now ran through the backstreets of downtown Tokyo. Her workout for the day, heck even the week, had been long surpassed. The streets were empty at this hour of night, which was both a blessing and a curse. Whatever part of town she was in, she wasn't exactly sure where she was, was empty at this hour of night. The chilled night air began to seep into her bones as Haruhi walked towards the sound of nightlife. Gurgling laughter of drunken business men stumbling towards the train station for the last train, the dull pound of bass from techno music, and the rattling sound of pachinko games grew louder. Haruhi was reluctant to approach anyone, after all how was she to know who was an enemy or friend at this point, in such a dangerous neighborhood. Deciding to weigh her chances, she spotted a seven eleven store up ahead. No one was inside the popular shop besides a gangly teenage attendant who put his cell phone away at her entrance. Greeting her, she saw the way his eyebrows shots up in concern and confusion.

"I'm sorry to bother you this evening, but could you please tell me where the nearest police station is," Haruhi asked politely as she stopped in front of the register.

"Umm yeah, sure. Do you need me to call an ambulance for you or something," he asked wearily staring at her injured arm.

"No, directions would be just fine," she smiled wearily. Grabbing a piece of receipt paper, he drew a short map to the nearest police station and Haruhi took it with a quick bow of thanks. Hurrying out before he could stop her, she followed the instructions to the police station a few blocks away.

Despite the hour of night, the large police station was well lit and cars were parked in the parking lot. Walking in with her head held high, Haruhi watched the receptionist double take as she approached his window. Caught somewhere between alarm and curiosity, he opened his mouth to say something to only close it. It wasn't every night a beautiful woman walked in in a short dress carrying a bottle of champagne. Were ragged dress edges a new fad he had missed by working the night shift? She didn't seem distressed so perhaps he had fallen asleep again at the counter?

"I need to speak to the detectives on the Tetsuya Sendo murder case as soon as possible." She spoke with confidence, as if her request were something completely reasonable for that hour of night. Leaning against the counter, she seemed to realize that she was still tightly holding the bottle of champagne. Considering the bottle in her hand for a second, she looked back at him with a tired smirk. "Oh and a glass while you're at it. I definitely earned this tonight."

Mori let the unconscious body of the sniper fall to the ground before Kyoya's squad moved forward to take him into custody. There was no doubt in his mind that the man would be tortured for information before disappearing, but that wasn't his concern nor problem. Most likely the man was a hired front that knew nothing besides a time, place, and face. The yakuza liked to play that way so there would be no ties back to them. Looking back over the view, Mori spotted Haruhi's limo pulling out of the drive onto a side road. Looks like she was on her way back home without the files he had snagged from Kasanoda, no thanks to him. Kasanoda had shown up minutes after she had ascended the stairs towards the old host club room. Taking the papers, Mori had slipped them into his jacket pocket before taking the long route to the host club room to check on her. It was on the way there that he heard the gun shots and saw her running into the hedge maze from a window overlooking the fountain. The sniper was only able to get off a few more shots before Mori successfully got to the roof and took him out, only a few minutes before the onion squad and campus security arrived. Taking out his cell phone, Mori considered calling the limo driver to check in on Haruhi's status, but decided against it. The driver shouldn't be talking on the cell phone while driving anyways. As he began walking back towards the ballroom, Mori considered how he was going to tell Honey that he needed to go back first.

The party was beginning to die out with the absence of two of the host club boys. The girls were still dancing, but there were signs of the night being over. Mori didn't have to seek out Honey when he reentered the ballroom as the small boy quickly made his way towards him. Turning away from the crowd so only Takashi could see his face, Honey dropped his cute act.

"I thought I heard gunshots a few minutes ago and Kyo-chan seems distracted giving orders to his security detail. Do you know anything about it?" Looking across the room, Mori could see Kyoya talking quickly into his cell phone and running a hand through his dark hair. A scowl was painted across his face and the Shadow King had obviously dropped the cool act to get down to business.

"I took care of a sniper on the roof. There doesn't appear to be any other security threats." Honey's face scrunched up in thought as he looked back over the crowd.

"I wonder who they were after," he muttered before shaking his head and continuing, "There are so many high profile targets here that it is hard to tell." Mori gave his customary grunt of agreement and let his eyes scan the crowd as well. He knew exactly who they were after, but this wasn't the time or place to tell Honey about Haruhi or her situation. There was no way to know how the loli-shota would react. As long as Honey was in town, Mori could expect several visits a week from his cousin, meaning there was a greater likelihood of Haruhi being found out. Honey had already commented on how unusual it was for Mori to live at the secondary estate unless there was trouble a foot. He might have to go back to the main estate just to keep his cover.

"Tama-chan has been gone for quite some time. Do you think he is ok?" Before Mori could reassure him, the sight of a frazzled, soaked Tamaki came running into the ballroom. Shutting his phone in an instant, Kyoya ran to intercept him before he could catch everyone's attention. Mori could see how distraught and frantic the Host King was. As Tamaki began to speak, Kyoya grabbed him, yanking him forward into a tight hug.

"Not here, Tamaki," Kyoya whispered urgently into Tamaki's ears as the blonde turned a shade of red. If Tamaki made a scene here in the ballroom right now, there would be panic. Half of the women in the ballroom were now eyeing the two men holding each other with stars in their eyes. Thinking on his feet, Kyoya pleaded gently, "Play along with me."

To everyone else in the ballroom, Kyoya and Tamaki were embracing as if there was no tomorrow. Some wondered why Tamaki was drenched, but the majority were too caught up in the moment of moe unfolding. Pulling back slightly, Kyoya saw Tamaki begin to protest. Not giving the man a chance to speak, Kyoya grasped Tamaki's face and kissed him. If the French man was disoriented before, he was completely lost at this point. The gears of his mind theater were short circuiting between all of the extremes of the evening. All of the girls were now in full moe as they watched; it wasn't quite the finale they were expecting, but they would take what they could get. Kyoya pushed Tamaki against the wall and continued the kiss until the blonde finally gave up any fight he had. They could talk later after Kyoya was finished rocking his world with this kiss, Tamaki thought to himself. Releasing his grip, Tamaki slouched a little in response as he tried to catch his breath. Kyoya, cool as ever, turned to the crowd and spoke loudly, "Well ladies, I'm sorry to cut the night short, but Tamaki and I have some *erm* pressing engagements to attend to. Thank you all for coming out tonight."

The girls cooed loudly in delight as Kyoya led Tamaki out of the room. Giving a nod, Honey slipped out the side door followed shortly after by Mori. Taking the chance to escape while they were gone and bring the party to a close, Kaoru called everyone's attention.

"I know the party here is done, but we always appreciate the company of you lovely ladies. Hikaru and I are going to keep the party going over at the old Tokyo Tower if anyone is interested in," Kaoru raised his eyebrows suggestively, "some fun."

"See you there," Hikaru finished with a naughty grin and both of them loosened their ties sexily. Walking out to a chorus of swooning girls, the twins hopped in their waiting limo.

Mori bounced his leg nervously as he watched them pull closer to his house. He had been hoping that Haruhi would have called as soon as she got back to the house, but it had been some time since she had supposedly arrived back. They were about five minutes away from his house when Mori's work cell phone rang. Honey's eyebrows raised in curiosity as to who would be calling his cousin at this hour of night. Neither were expecting the voice on the other end.

"Good evening Mr. Morinozuka, my name is Kyu Suzu from the Tokyo police department. We wanted to let you know that we have recovered your missing shinai and you can come down to the main Shinjuku police station any time to pick it up." Mori felt his brows scrunch in confusion, a look that closely resembled Honey's mirrored look of confusion. There was no way in hell Mori was missing any shinai since he always took great care of each one. In fact both of them knew exactly where each of his shinai hung on the wall of the family dojo at the main estate. Mori felt his gut drop as he heard a distinct quiet female voice in the background over the phone. "There is no rush, sir. We will take good care of it in the meantime."

"I will be by in the morning to collect it," Mori said carefully, fully aware that Honey was looking at him in suspicion. Hanging up the phone call, Mori felt a sigh of relief as they pulled into the long drive up to his house.

"What was that about? There are no shinai missing from the dojo. I was there this afternoon. I would have noticed."

"I had one replaced in your absence. Lost it at the last tournament," Mori replied looking down. Honey's scrutinizing gaze softened into a shrug.

"You should be more careful. Our fathers would have a thing or two to say if they knew you weren't properly respecting your weapons." Mori opened his mouth to defend himself, but shut it silently. There was no time to properly explain things, he needed to get out of there. As soon as the car stopped, Mori quickly said his goodnight and hurried into the house. Stopping in the entryway, he watched Honey's limo pull away before running quickly to the garage for his personal car.

Parking his car in the lot, Mori ran into the police station. An older gentleman with a midnight shadow and red tired eyes stared back at him from behind the glass window. Coming forward eagerly, Mori introduced himself and stated that he had arrived to pick up his missing article. With a glare up at him and a sigh, the man sloughed off his chair and came around to open the door to the interior of the station. Mori followed the man patiently past the secretarial cubicles into the sea of detective's desks. Turning the corner, he felt his jaw slaw open in surprise. Haruhi was seated in a provocative, cross-legged manner on the edge of a detective's desk with a large cup of amber colored drink in hand laughing at something that had been said. Looking up from the group surrounding her, she smiled and raised her glass to him.

"It seems my keeper has arrived to take me home, boys." A chorus of disappointed groans went around before she tossed back her drink with enthusiasm. Mori took in her appearance nervously. A fresh white bandage circled her arm indicating a minor injury and her dress was torn well above her knees. Despite her torn clothing, she seemed relatively calm and well.

"We will give you a call if we find anything out. In the meantime, keep your head low and ride it out. You can always crash in a cell here if worse comes to worse," one of the men said handing her his card. Accepting it with a bow, she was then handed cards by all of the men present.

"I'm sorry I don't have my card to give you, but I will be in touch." Waving a thick manila folder in one hand with the cards tucked in between her fingers, she tossed out her cup with the other. "I got what we need right here. Seems tonight worked out after all."

"Who were they," Mori asked as they walked towards the exit. Ushering her into his car, he began the drive home with a listening ear. She had a lot of explaining to do.

"Oh that was the Sergeant of the police department, the two detectives assigned to the case, and the district attorney that would be the prosecutor if we went to trial. I got an idea what Tetsuya was onto, and if I'm right, we will be seeing a lot more of them in the future."


	7. Chapter 7

Howdy everyone! I have successfully graduated with a BS in biomedical engineering. My family officially leaves town tomorrow and I will finally be left to my writing and multiple jobs. Thanks for all of your continued support and well wishes as I went through this period in my life. I need to catch up on all of my writing because I may or may not have started writing a third fanfiction that I haven't posted yet *cough cough* Hermione/Krum *cough* undercover *cough* political corruption *hacks up sputum and checks it for signs of TB before throwing away handkerchief*. Whatever the case, I finally breached the lemon category this chapter. I have never tried writing anything like this before so hopefully it went ok and you all aren't too disappointed. In time I hope to become better at writing lemons... presuming I don't die of blood loss from the nose bleeds first. :)

Next Chapter will be posted on June 1st.

 **Chapter 7**

Tamaki began babbling about blood the moment the limo began pulling away from Ouran. Kyoya adjusted his glasses as he listened carefully, waiting for a moment to jump in. Surprisingly, Tamaki's response was only one tenth of his typical dramatics by the usual standard, but luckily it seemed he didn't know that the girl in question was Haruhi. As he started babbling more sense, Kyoya nodded his acknowledgement and interrupted.

"The sniper has already been dealt with and is being interrogated as we speak. As for the girl, she was last seen driving away in her limo to return to the comforts of her home." His vague recognition of Haruhi zeroed in Tamaki's flustered mind.

"This is Haruhi we are talking about! Not just some girl," he reprimanded with a frown before looking Kyoya over. The conversation he eavesdropped in on began replaying through his mind theatre, bringing back an even strong wave of confusion emotions. "When were you going to tell me? Were you just going to let me believe she didn't care for us the rest of my life?"

"I acted with our best interests at heart. She would have never agreed to your proposal back then."

"Maybe not, but at least she wouldn't have had to spend these last few years alone! We could have worn her down in time." Kyoya timidly frowned as he tried to maintain control of the situation. With Tamaki's passion, Haruhi would have been overwhelmed and probably would have run further away than the United States.

"She needed time alone to realize how important we are in her life. If we moved too quickly, she would have pushed us away and never given us a chance. Now that she has come back to Japan on her own terms, we can give it a fair shot."

"What makes you think that she would even consider it after years of neglect? My poor darling Haruhi!" Kyoya silently thanked the gods that he wasn't calling her his daughter like he used to. That was one bridge that had taken years to burn. "Let me guess, she is back because of some string you pulled to get her here."

"No actually, she took a civil case for Kasanoda. I had nothing to do with her return, but I intend to have everything to do with her staying," Kyoya muttered with a dark smile. Though he was loathe to admit his failures, Kyoya knew he had waited far too long for Haruhi to make up her mind and return to them. This was the perfect opportunity. It was time to go on the offensive and tonight was just the beginning.

"You let Haruhi take a yakuza case! How could you let her do such a dangerous thing! She could have been killed tonight!" Tamaki shouted his worries aloud as they pulled up to their skyscraper. Their shared apartment was on the top floor overlooking all of Tokyo. He was grateful that they had a private entrance with its own elevator as Tamaki continued to shout his objections. Without the case, Haruhi would scramble back the States and the opportunity to finally pin her down would be gone. It was dangerous, but they needed this case to go to trial. Kyoya had complete faith in Mori's protection detail. Tamaki continued his tirade as Kyoya quickly made his way towards his office.

"I will not have you going and interrupting her work. She is a trained professional and this is not her first high profile case with organized crime. Instead of pining away for her in solitude, why don't you actually learn about the woman she has become," Kyoya remarked as he grabbed the top file out of the stack marked Haruhi from a secret panel in his right desk drawer and tossed it towards Tamaki. It fell open on top of his desk revealing a photo of Haruhi smiling with a few other people in suits in front of a business sign reading "Cromwell, Rosen, and Morrison LLP". A cut out newspaper article peeped out from beneath the photo with the headline "Fujioka takes down Burdett Enterprises". Staring at the file, Tamaki felt his words fall short of leaving his mouth. Kyoya had a point. He didn't know who she had become after he had turned his back on her. Silently picking up the photo, he frowned as he thought about all of the time he had missed. He had missed this moment in her life. Flickering his gaze up to Kyoya, Tamaki wondered how he could stand knowing all about her life and do nothing to be a part of it? How had he watched the girl they loved move on without them and simply pretend she never existed like he had? Tears sprung to his eyes as he thought of how lonely Kyoya and Haruhi must have felt and yet here he was all of this time thinking only of himself. Tamaki startled at the buzzing sound in Kyoya's pocket as they both looked at each other in silence.

"I need to take this. It could be Mori with an update on Haruhi's condition." Nodding his head in understanding, Tamaki picked up the folder and left the room. Sitting down in the living room, he spread out the last few years of Haruhi's life around him. Pictures, newspaper clippings, reports from private investigators, all of it made up a broken stained glass image of Haruhi. However, the collected information was shallow in comparison to the woman she had become and what daunting adventures she had undertaken. After all, as a business lawyer in a top notch firm and the known right hand woman of the Boston District Attorney's office, Haruhi didn't leave her secrets out in the open.

"Haruhi is secure now. Our new driver was not as clean as we thought. He needs to be taken care of." Kyoya nearly groaned in irritation as he rubbed a hand against his furrowed brow. When things go wrong, they go terribly wrong. He should have thought to complete a tertiary background check on all of Mori's staff before Haruhi even boarded the plane. He wouldn't make the same mistakes twice.

"I will send my men to see to him accordingly. Is she well?"

"One of the earlier sniper shots nicked her arm. She is sleeping peacefully now." Kyoya immediately stood up and started loosening his tie with one hand. Gods this day was stressful.

"There is a chance the rest of your household might be compromised. We need to move her as soon as possible."

"I know. I will make arrangements in the morning, but for now I will watch over her sleep." Kyoya had to admit that he felt a small twinge of envy towards Mori. He wanted to see what Haruhi looked like when she was sleeping peacefully and wasn't concerned with the world of problems she typically carried on her shoulders. However, driving over there was out of the question when there were problems to see to and Tamaki to handle. Now was not the time. Giving another sigh, Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Let me know if you need any assistance with those arrangements in the morning." Giving a grunt of acknowledgment, Mori hung up the phone. Powering up his laptop, Kyoya saw to the exact arrangements he wanted for the sniper who had shot at Haruhi and to the driver who had been overlooked in his reviews. Answering a few business related emails, he looked tiredly at the clock on his computer screen before closing it down for the night. Standing up he walked slowly towards the office door while removing his tie completely and undoing the first few buttons of his shirt. Leaning against the door frame, he could see Tamaki looking over the file he had handed him. Silent tears ran down his pale cheeks and Kyoya felt his frown grow a little deeper. Grabbing the nearby box of tissues, he tossed them on the couch beside him.

"I'm heading to bed. Feel free to join me when you are finished." Leaving him there, Kyoya walked to their shared bedroom and shed his clothing to the floor. He climbed into the large empty bed and curled up in the soft comforter. Outside his window, the city continued to twinkle as most of its residents began to seek the comfort of their own beds and the trains began their final trips for the night.

Sometime later in the night Kyoya woke up to cold hands firmly exploring his chest. Turning to complain to Tamaki about waking him up, Kyoya was silenced by the King's lips pushing forcefully upon his own. Waking more fully, his mind became aware of the position they were in, and more particularly Tamaki's lack of clothing. Tamaki clung to him with a desperation that silenced any complaints the Shadow King would have spoken about the hour. Rolling Tamaki onto his back, Kyoya pinned him beneath his lean frame as he tried to catch his breath.

"Please Kyoya," Tamaki whimpered as his hands slid down to push Kyoya's boxers out of the way, "I need to feel whole." Frowning at the blonde's choice of words, Kyoya's now awake mind struggled between dismissing him to go back to sleep and screwing the blonde until he was an undone mess. Sex after all was a wonderful stress reliever and distraction for the mind. Tamaki's feathered kisses down his neck drew a hiss and made the decision for him. Reaching over quickly to the nightstand, Kyoya found what he needed to prepare as Tamaki began to stroke him sensually. Holding back a moan, he wasted no time in pushing Tamaki's hands away and fixing himself for what he had decided would be a better use of his time than sleeping. Kissing passionately, their bodies collided into each other on the bed. As Kyoya entered him, Tamaki let out a moan of satisfaction. Wasting no time, Kyoya stroked Tamaki's slick shaft in time with each of his thrusts. The rhythm grew faster and Kyoya couldn't deny the deep satisfaction he felt hearing his name pouring forth from Tamaki's lips. French words of love and moans of pleasure intermixed with the slaps of their flesh meeting. Holding back until he felt Tamaki tittering at the edge, Kyoya released them both into the bliss they desired. Moving his weight off of him, Kyoya laid down beside him and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know I love you right," Tamaki whispered as he looked over at him.

"Yeah I heard you the first dozen times you screamed it," he replied with a cocky smile before grabbing a few tissues to wipe off some of the sticky residue. The maids would take care of the sheets in the morning, but there was something to be said about waking up all sticky. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tamaki ran a hand through his hair.

"We will figure this out together, Kyoya. We will get her back and all will be as it was before."

"It will be better than before. I'm afraid I've made it out to be an all or nothing gamble." His blunt honesty shook Tamaki to the core.

"I have faith in you. You would never take a risk of that magnitude unless you were sure you could win," Tamaki smiled at him warmly. "Well I guess I will go take a shower. Wouldn't want to wake up all sticky, right," Tamaki laughed as he scooted off the bed. Kyoya's hand grasped his forearm stopping him from leaving.

"Don't you remember the last time you woke me up in the middle of the night for sex?" Tamaki's face scrunched up in confusion as he thought back over it.

"Yes, we set a record of four times back-to-back and probably would have gone for a fifth time if I hadn't begged you to let me go to sleep. You said it was punishment for waking you up. I was so sore the next day that I could barely sit through all of my meetings- wait a second."

"Time to make a new record," Kyoya said with a smirk as he yanked him back onto the bed. Sleep would be the last thing on either of their minds for quite some time.

Mori slipped his cell phone into his pocket and peered in the door crack to see Haruhi sleeping peacefully in his bed. It hadn't been as hard as he would have thought to get her into it. The subtle threat that they would move locations first thing in the morning seemed to remind her of the situation. Entering into the dark bedroom, he locked the door behind him and went to change clothes. Slipping into a comfortable pair of sweats, Mori stalled for a while before gingerly climbing into bed beside her. Rather than sleeping, he was going to watch over her. Her tranquil face was beautiful in the moonlight as she relaxed in her sleep.

Dozing lightly, Mori felt the sun rise and begin to warm him. Opening his eyes he looked over to see Haruhi's face scrunched up in exasperation.

"Kyoya please," she pleaded in her sleep, "I can't give in." Perking up at Kyoya's name, Mori wondered what she was dreaming about. Biting her lip, she stifled a small moan as her body trembled. Instantly fully awake and aware, he listened to her soft pants as her breath quickened and she turned in her sleep. A wave of jealousy swept through him. He wanted to be the one she was dreaming about like that. What had Kyoya done to be the object of her dreams? Wasn't she in his bed right now lying beside him? Abruptly she brought her knee up and startled awake at the impact of her knee meeting Mori's solid thigh. Jolting upright in bed, she hovered there for a moment as she fully awakened. Quickly closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep, Mori heard Haruhi run a hand through her hair and sigh before lying back down. Unsure how to handle the awkward situation, Mori waited until she started to get off the bed to be "jostled awake". Grunting a quiet good morning in response to her apology for waking him, he saw the remnants of a blush fading away from her cheeks.

"Takashi, where will we go? If we aren't safe here in a Morinozuka residence, then where would be safe?" Sitting up, Mori let the blankets pool around his waist and was grateful when they didn't tent around his morning arousal. The situation didn't need to be made more awkward by nature's morning gift. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and faced her slowly.

"We will return to the main house. Security there is tighter and there are places to keep you hidden." Getting up and stretching his muscular body, Mori averted his eyes from her. "You may shower first. I will shower after you are safe."

Nodding her head, Haruhi walked into the large bathroom and ran the water to get it hot. She shed her clothes and was about to get in when there was a knock on the door.

"I brought plastic wrap to cover your bandage." Thanking him, Haruhi slid the door open enough to grasp the plastic wrap and closed it again. Unwinding a long strand, she cut it off and wrapped it around her bandaged arm. The shower felt heavenly as the warm water flowed over her tired muscles, reminding her of how long it had been since she last exercised in any sense of the word. College and law school had taken its toll on her level of activity with its long hours of studying. Outside of the door, Mori silently cursed the placement of the mirror beside the sliding door. The image of Haruhi's naked body was burnt comfortably into the back of his eyelids.

Shuffling the suitcase that held Haruhi's belongings to the other hand, Mori grasped her tiny hand within his own and pulled her gently around the backside of the dojo. After discussing with his father what the best course of action might be, they had agreed that secluding Haruhi in the old villa behind the dojo would be for the best. His father was making arrangements to have his personal security team of over forty five years guard the villa and post a guard at each entry point. The stone path crunched loudly beneath their feet as they approached the small traditional Japanese villa. Nodding his head to the familiar guard from his father's staff, Mori slid open the door and walked into the entranceway. They removed their shoes and made the high step onto the hard wood floor before sliding open the door to the interior.

The villa used to be the home of the groundskeeper and his family before they were moved over to the main Haninozuka estate. The two bedroom home was mostly used for storage now, but Mori arranged for the place to be cleaned out and a fresh futon laid out for her. As Mori showed her around the villa, Haruhi marveled at the small garden that the entire structure was built around. Large koi fish lazily swam in circles as the water lapped up against the edges of the raised hallway. Recently trimmed shrubs and flowers surrounded the pond on three sides and gave way to a small mosaic stone design in the center. The glass screens surrounding the inner garden were slid back so the gentle breeze could enter the household, pushing away the odor of dust and time. Showing her the tatami floored bedroom and the nearby office, Takashi couldn't shake the thought of this morning out of his head. She was struggling with her decision and if Kyoya was going to push her towards them, perhaps he could too. First though, he needed to get his emotions under control and tell Honey that she was here. Mitsukuni would need time to come to terms with her return and the possibility of having a relationship with her, if that is what he still wanted. Mori wasn't certain that they would succeed, but perhaps with Honey on board their chances of wooing Haruhi would improve. Besides, keeping her hidden two hundred feet away from the dojo that he used was begging for trouble. When the moment was right, he would tell him. Leaving Haruhi to her own devices, Mori excused himself to go to kendo practice with little knowledge of what was to come.

After eating a quick lunch of boxed sushi from the fridge, Haruhi went to work laying out her papers all over the office and trying to sort out her thoughts. Using the white erase board, she jotted down her theories and tried to find the strands she was missing to connect the cases. What had Tetsuya seen or found when he was investigating? Why had he visited public records the morning of his shooting when he hadn't checked anything out to view and there was no note of it in his case file? The security video at the public records building showed him arriving, briefly walking slowly past a row of old files, and then walking out. Why had the sniper risked taking him out on the Kasanoda syndicate estate rather than wait until he was more vulnerable at any other location? Haruhi sifted through the police files and forensic reports. The bullet used to kill him had been illegally imported, most likely by the Sendo syndicate, but there was no way Tetsuya would have known that before his murder. Why had he not left a note about the connection? …Unless it was something that was blatantly obvious to him. Biting the tip of her pen, Haruhi began to formulate her theory. It wouldn't be until the wee hours of the morning on the hundredth rerun of the security footage that she caught what she had been missing.


	8. Chapter 8

The next update won't be for quite some time while I work on trying to tie up some loose strings in my main story and follow that inspiration. Whenever the next chapter for this is ready, I will post it. I suspect that will be sometime around June 19th. Once the first arc of my main story is complete I will put that on hiatus and work solely on this project. Until then, thanks for your patience and continued support.

 **Chapter 8**

"I need to borrow a phone." The guard looked at the girl peeping out from behind the door. It was three in the morning, but she looked wide awake. Turning away to look out into the darkness surrounding them, he sighed.

"I'm sorry Miss. We have not been given permission to lift the cell signal barrier due to the security of this location.-"

"I need a working phone sir so that I can continue my work. It is imperative that I have access to one." Haruhi's firm, authoritative tone told him that she was going to be persistent and that he might as well save his breath than argue with her.

"I will need to call it in and ask permission," he replied hesitantly before speaking rapidly into the radio on his shoulder. Listening to the taut reply, he nodded in understanding and looked up to translate the message for the girl only to find her slipping her shoes on.

"I can understand my native tongue just fine. I haven't been gone from Japan that long," Haruhi scolded as she began to march down the path. Moving quickly in front of her, he led the way to the side of the main house. Despite the late hour, the house was still lit and moving with activity. Removing their shoes, they proceeded through the labyrinth towards a large office in the back of the house. Stopping outside of it, the guard politely knocked and opened the door for her to enter.

Haruhi could not recall a time in high school that she had met Akira Morinozuka in person. The older man reminded her in many ways of his two sons though he had considerable gray streaks in his hair due to old age. Entering the room, they exchanged bows and he offered her a seat across from him. It was apparent that he had been up for some time as evidenced by the cookie crumbs on the plate on his desk, the half drank tea, and stacks of notes around his computer. Something about the multiple abandoned crumb filled plates told her that he probably shared a similar sweet habit to Honey's.

"Tatsumi-san said that you were needing a cell phone. Though I am not privy to the details of your case, I was under the understanding that you were to be kept in isolation for your work. May I ask what it is that you need the phone for?"

"My work requires me to contact several of the officers involved in the case. I need them to do the leg work outside and send me the results so I can build both of the cases."

"Do you trust these officers?" Haruhi stopped and thought over his question for a moment. It was true that she didn't know any of the men personally and there was always a chance that the unit had a mole, however until she was proven otherwise she would believe in their integrity as Japanese police officers.

"I trust them enough to retrieve the information I need and possibly tell them my plan of action once I have all of the wheels in motion. You don't have to worry about me sharing my location. As long as the information I need to prepare for trial is provided, I can manage my solitude in peace."

"I will not adjust the signal blockers, but I can provide you a secure landline to make calls. Just make sure you do not use it for longer than five minutes otherwise it will risk being traced."

"Thank you sir," Haruhi said and rose to excuse herself.

"If you don't mind indulging me, I have questions of a different nature to ask you before you leave. I promised Takashi I would leave you alone while you were out in the villa, but since you are here in my office, I don't see why we can't talk." Freezing halfway up, Haruhi considered the situation briefly. Reclaiming her seat, she smiled at him and gave him a nod to continue. "I was under the impression that you had left Japan some time ago. May I ask what brought you back?"

"A dear friend of mine from Ouran ran into some legal trouble and called me in as a favor."

"So you didn't come back to see the host club boys? Surely, you must know that the annual reunion is also coming up soon?" Haruhi smiled, but Akira could see the sadness beneath. He already knew that the girl in front of him had a long history with his son and his friends, but he needed to know where she stood now amongst everything. Akira already knew how his eldest son felt about her, the way he had kneeled before him and begged for his assistance in protecting her had spoken volumes. But how did she feel? He could recall like yesterday how both he and Yorihisa had noticed the changes in their sons when the rest of the host club had graduated and gone their separate ways. It wasn't until much later did he realize that their group had become permanently broken upon her departure. After all, a body cannot continue living without a heart. He wanted to know if she was going to come back and fix what she had left behind.

"No sir. I was not planning on attending the reunion or becoming reacquainted with the members of the host club. It just happens that your son accepted my guard detail from the same friend that brought me back. As soon as the case is completed, I will be returning back to my life in Boston."

"That is all I needed to know. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me," he replied with a bow.

"No, thank you for meeting with me at such a strange hour," Haruhi replied and with a bow, departed the room to return to the villa. Akira watched her leave with a frown settling deep into his face. When the hidden back panel of the desk slid open and Yorihisa Haninozuka stepped out, they shared the same disappointed look.

"She is not planning on staying. They will be heartbroken."

"Honey does not know that she is here. He will be none the wiser if she disappears after the trial without contacting him."

"My son loves her. He has never lowered his head to anyone and begged as he did when he came to us before."

"Do you think she would reciprocate his feelings if he confessed? I'm not sure if pushing him forward would get him the response he desires." Akira folded his hands and sighed loudly. He would do anything to protect his son, but was meddling in his love life the right answer?

"No, I believe she is set on her path. The best thing to do is protect him from the fallout she will leave behind. They mustn't get any closer."

Haruhi was pleased to find the new landline phone installed in the office space when she entered in the morning. With a cup of coffee in hand and her case file in the other, she began preparing for the morning. The first call she made was to the detectives on the case. She needed them to go to the public records building that Tetsuya had visited and pick up the box with his last name on it that she had seen from the video. Anything in the box was to be photographed or scanned over to her via email. If she was correct, the information she needed to connect the dots would be there, or at least enough of it to make her claims. As the documents arrived and she printed them out to join the others, Haruhi briefly noted that the day had begun passing into evening. Mori had not stopped by, but she was busy as it is getting lost in her work, making the connections that everyone else was missing.

Tuesday morning the sun was already burning its way across the sky when Mori had finally lost his patience. It had been several days since he had last seen Haruhi and it was taking everything in his power not to storm past the guards into the villa. He had gone to visit her the morning after he had helped her settle in and was denied access by the guards. They had told him that she had requested no visitors until after the opening statements on Thursday. When he had tried to pressure the guards, they simply reminded him that they were under orders from his father, not him. Mori had even gone to his father to see if he could do something about it, but his father was surprisingly unmovable on the subject, leaving him to simmer in annoyance and hurt. He didn't see why she would deny him the opportunity to visit her. Perhaps she thought to prevent any further distraction from him or any other member of the host club? Thinking back to the last night she had slept in his bed, (he blushed a bit at the memory) he recalled her talking about Kyoya in her sleep. Wondering if whatever happened with Kyoya swayed her into this decision, Mori decided to call and demand some answers. Pacing outside of the dojo, he held the small cell phone nimbly in his hand waiting for the dial tone to stop.

"Is there a problem," Kyoya greeted Mori with a hint of urgency. Stepping out of the meeting to take the phone call, he gave a nod to Tamaki's unspoken question as to who was calling. Despite Tamaki's agreement to not race over to the Morinozuka estate, Kyoya was skeptical that the Host Club king would follow through. Keeping one eye on him, he leaned against the wall.

"She has refused to see anyone since we transferred her. Care to explain what you did to her the night of the party?"

"I took the liberty of kissing her," Kyoya gloated calmly. On the other side of the phone, Mori clenched his fist tightly and felt his anger rise. "Don't be too mad, senpai. If her moans were anything to go by, she enjoyed it as much as I did."

Mori focused on his breathing to keep from punching the bush beside him. He had expected more tact from the Shadow King, but apparently lust clouds even the brightest of minds. Part of him recognized the hypocrisy of this battle. He had wanted to kiss her for days, but he had sat back to give her space and time to come around to him. Kyoya had taken the blunt approach it seems and now she was closed up tight like a clam. Pity for Haruhi and jealousy at missed opportunities to tell her how he felt left him silent.

"If you don't need anything else, I need to get back into this meeting. Wouldn't want Tamaki giving me the slip and coming over there to woo our concealed lady now would we?" Giving his usual grunt, Mori hung up the phone and slipped the delicate device into his pocket before he could crush it in hand. Sometimes he really hated Kyoya.

"We need to talk." Mori looked over his shoulder at Mitsukuni, who was standing with his arms crossed with a serious expression. To say that he had been avoiding the much shorter blond man would be an understatement and with his contained anger, now was not the time to be changing that. This was the longest they had gone without speaking, but there was no work currently that required it. Honey had tried approaching him four different times since he moved back into the main house, but each time Mori had deftly slipped past him. However it seemed that Honey had felt the need for a serious discussion now because he was there frowning at him. There would be no Usa-chan or cake today, not when Honey was in his gei and was looking at Mori with deadly eyes.

"Not now Mitsukuni," Takashi muttered as he focused back on the practice movements of his shinai. He needed to clear his mind of Haruhi and stop questioning why she had requested he not enter the villa to see her. Was Kyoya's kiss enough to drive her away? Why had Kyoya not been more sensitive to Haruhi's needs? Hadn't he been making progress with her without his interference? Crossing in front of him, Honey hit the stick out of his hands and glared.

"If you won't speak to me, then I have no other choice. Takashi Morinozuka, I challenge you to a fight. First one to unconsciousness loses." Any sounds in the dojo were immediately silenced as everyone looked at the pair. Anytime there was a fight between any member of the two families without the typical family rules, it was always rough and bloody. Opening his mouth to tell him that wasn't necessary, Mori was brushed off as Honey picked up the shinai and tossed it to one of the students quickly vacating the premises. Shaking his head in understanding, Mori walked into the circular ring in the center of the room. If this was what Honey needed to do to talk to him then so be it. Lining up across from him, Honey noticeably loosened his collar as he continued glaring at him. One of the remaining students called them up to the lines and started the match before fleeing with the rest. No one was left as they circled each other like birds of prey. Mori felt his gut drop and steady as they began to slowly exchange punches and kicks.

"You have been acting strange for days. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

"There is nothing to tell."

"I disagree. You are hiding something." Thinking about it for a moment as he dodged another flying kick from Honey, Mori went for the blunt approach.

"I've forgiven Haruhi. That decision has given me peace." Honey paused for a second in confusion. Haruhi had long been a forbidden subject between them since the last time Mori had held Honey as he had cried.

"Don't try to change the subject. Our troubles with Haruhi are long gone." Believing it to be a curveball to throw him off, Mitsukuni felt his anger grow in retaliation.

"You should consider forgiving her as well. Everything about her departure is not as it seems."

"All that matters is that she left us behind. I don't need to know anything more. I am more concerned with what you are hiding out in the old villa. I want to know what it is and why I am not privy to this information as your business partner." Honey picked up the pace in his attack as Mori struggled to remain on defense. It was a flurry of attacks and blocks between the two. With the majority of his work keeping him away from the Morinozuka estate, there should have been no way that Honey noticed the slight guard rotation change unless he had seen activity at the villa…

"You shouldn't have noticed that."

"You didn't think I wouldn't notice that you were keeping secrets again," Honey shouted as he slammed his fist into Mori's gut. Blocking the upper cut going for his chin, Mori barely missed the knee aiming for his knee. "Just like you did with Haruhi!" At the sound of her name, Mori missed the fist aiming for his solar plexus and hit the ground as the air was knocked out of him. Mori had definitely flipped the switch inside of Mitsukuni opening up the grief and pain he struggled with when it came to Haruhi. Mounting him, Honey punched Mori's nose before being flipped onto his back. Blood was beginning to flow from the obviously broken nose, but the two grappled for control. Landing a solid punch across Mori's jaw and causing the later's head to snap to the side, Honey felt tears well up as his emotions overflowed. "You loved her! And you were not going to say anything!"

Picking him up by the gei, he slammed him back into the ground for good measure before realizing that his cousin was struggling to remain conscious.

"You were going to let me have her without a word! You self-sacrificing moron," Honey yelled as tears ran freely down his cheek. Wiping them away furiously, he yanked Mori's head back to face him. Mori had given up struggling, and just looked up sadly at Honey as he prepared to take whatever punishment the boy was going to give. Anger was part of the grieving process and it had bottled up for far too long.

"I would have given anything for you to be with her and be happy, but you wouldn't say a word!" Landing another hard punch across his cousin's jaw, Mori's head lolled to side unconscious.

"I never had a chance with her. No matter how much I loved her, she was always looking at you! She would never return my love, but you had a chance! You had a chance and you let her go without a word! Why didn't you say something?"

"Mitsukuni, that's enough," the sound of his father's voice interrupted the turmoil racing through him and silence fell over the dojo. One of the fleeing students must have run for his father to stop the fight or at least monitor it within reason. Nobody else would have been able to stop him with just words. Looking down at the sight of his cousin, he felt his heart clench in guilt. Stepping back from his unconscious body, Honey felt a hand grasp him tightly by the shoulder. Blood dripped freely to the ground from his hands, mixing with the tears he was spilling.

"He will be fine. Go home. I will see that he is cared for."

Giving one last glance over his shoulder as he walked away, Honey let the sight burn into his memory.


	9. Chapter 9

If there is anything I have learned this chapter, it's that I know nothing about law and doing basic research into international law isn't satisfactory. Rather than drive myself up a wall in frustration over trying to get all of the little details right, I'm just going to suspend reality and pretend that its close enough to truth to get by. I apologize in advance. Hopefully next chapter I will finally bring Honey into the mix. Next update will be around July 7th as long as my computer holds out. I may or may not have broken the hinge and frayed the wires keeping my computer alive...Worst case scenario I go off the grid until I can procure a new computer and then update like 3 chapters at once.

 **Chapter 9**

Ryota Sato clenched his brief case tighter as he walked towards the courthouse with a guard of police officers surrounding him and his companion. As the district attorney in charge of the Sendo murder case, he had known the tiny likelihood of actually bringing this case to trial. Most of the cases regarding the yakuza never made it to completion for one reason or another, but here he was, almost to the courthouse to intervene in an opening trial. He had nearly dropped his morning mug of coffee when the girl standing beside him now had walked into the precinct as if she belonged there. Greeting most of them by name, Haruhi informed them that she had made a break in both of their cases.

As the officers on the case and the sergeant of the department piled into his office, she had taken the liberty to clear his white board and begin writing up a flow chart. By the end of her speech, all of them had been sitting there in awe wondering how they had not noticed it before. Haruhi Fujioka was one hell of a lawyer, but she would have made an even better investigator if she had ever considered it. When reviewing the tapes, she noticed the names on the records boxes. The box that had caught Tetsuya's eye and Haruhi's upon closer examination had the label "Nakajima-Sendo" written on it. It had only taken a little minor digging with the police to find a sealed identification record of one Tanaka Nakajima revealing his relation as brother-in-law to Tetsuya Sendo. With the recent natural death of Tetsuya's father and Tetsuya's absence from the group, Tanaka was the next known head of the Sendo syndicate. However if Haruhi was correct in her educated hypothesis, Tetsuya could still have returned and claimed the position as the next head of the Sendo syndicate if he broke his ties to the Kasanoda Clan. Tanaka would easily have motive and means for Tetsuya's murder if he thought his new position as head of house was threatened. All of this she had figured out over several email chains and the videos that were sent to her, but there still seemed to be something missing. How did Tetsuya know about the import of guns? Deciding to play the bluff and ask her later, Ryota focused on climbing the stairs together with the woman in question. Despite the escorts and the risk, she seemed unphased and if anything, all the more confident.

As they waited for the judge to arrive to open the case and state the charges, Haruhi took note of the others present. Kasanoda sat with a scowl on his face beside her and many of his men sat in the seat behind them. A woman and man sat talking quietly in the back of the court room segregated from the yakuza present and an assistant busily tried to ready the court room for trial. The defense attorney for the Hongo Mercantile group was a scrawny man by the name of Ren Ookami. He had briefly greeted them with a sparkling fake smile when they entered before promptly ignoring them. Haruhi wondered what role he played for the mercantile group when he wasn't masquerading around as a lawyer. Opening her briefcase to pull out her notes, Haruhi felt Kasanoda's stare on the man sitting beside her. She hadn't run her plan by him before heading to the police station this morning, but it was the only way she could think of hitting the Sendo syndicate with both cases. As the judge entered the room, everyone stood to honor him.

"We will now beginning opening proceedings on case #4452- Kasanoda vs. Hongo. May the lawyers state their names and representations," the assistant said loudly.

"My name is Haruhi Fujioka and I will be representing Ritsu Kasanoda's interests."

"My name is Ryota Sato and I am the district attorney assigned to Tetsuya Sendo murder case."

"My name is Ren Ookami and I represent Tanaka Nakajima, president of the Hongo Mercantile Company."

"You may all be seated," the assistant stated before taking his own seat near the judge.

"I have on file that you are charging Tanaka Nakajima with embezzlement of twenty billion yen. How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty."

"Your honor, we would like to add additional charges." Nodding his head, the judge consented for her to continue. "We would like to add the charges of first degree murder for the murder of Tetsuya Sendo and one count of illegal trafficking of firearms."

"Do you have evidence to support such claims, Fujioka-san?"

"Yes your honor. I would like to submit the following exhibits as evidence and request that this case be moved to the Shinjuku district court for trial." The judge accepted the files from Haruhi and began looking over them with a frown on his face. Ryota pulled out another copy of the exhibit files that she was submitting to the judge and handed them to Ookami-san for review. Bringing his eyes up from the paperwork, the judge let out a sigh and frowned harder at her.

"So you are requesting a joint case with the Tokyo Police Department, increasing the number of charges, and filing for a change in venue. Fairly bold for an opening statement Fujioka-san," the judge commented.

"We believe these charges to be true and the evidence to support our claims," she replied evenly. Back behind their table, Ryota was sweating bullets between the glares from the defense attorney, the yakuza, and the judge. Acknowledging her guts the judge shook his head in understanding and looked back over the papers.

"You understand that this is supposed to be the opening proceedings for the embezzlement case and that these charges should have been filed well in advance to today?"

"Yes your honor, however we were waiting on circumstantial evidence to check out prior to bringing in the additional charges. Since we have not truly began the proceedings we should be able to file the additional charges and make the necessary arrangements." Unable to argue her logic, the judge sighed again and put the papers down. He hated when lawyers wasted his time, but her argument was valid. She had not stated the opening claims and therefore, the case had not opened officially. There was wiggle room in the law to allow for such changes.

"And how does the defendant plead to these new charges?"

"Of course not guilty, your honor. This is outrageous! Filing additional charges the day of opening statements is unprofessional and inconsiderate to my client. These should be considered in a separate hearing with Sato-san as lead attorney and the defense should be given ample time to prepare a counter to these false claims."

"It is unusual yes, but within the law. You will be given a week to prepare and I will see that the necessary arrangements are made for the change in venue. Case adjourned." Slamming his gavel down, the judge took the papers and stalked out of the court room. Returning to Ryota with a smile, Haruhi offered him her hand. "It seems like we will be working closely in the future. Please take good care of me."

"It would be my pleasure Fujioka-san. I was surprised that went as smoothly as it did," he replied shaking her hand. Both of them turned to stare as Ookami-san walked away talking quietly on his cell phone. "It seems like we will have quite a challenge with him."

"I'm sure it won't be anything we haven't handled before," she smirked as she packed up her briefcase. Grasping the handle, Haruhi went to Kasanoda.

"Kasanoda-kun, may I introduce to you Ryota Sato. He will be helping me with your case and is the district attorney in charge of prosecuting Tetsuya's murderer." Bowing to the known yakuza head, Sato felt sweat run down his back. Though the man in question seemed to be scowling at him, he bowed shortly in return.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Kasanoda-san. I am honored to be working this case with Fujioka-san and finding justice for you and Sendo-san." Giving a murmur of a reply, Ritsu ran a hand through his tied back hair. The tension of distrust between them was high but Haruhi was still smiling between the two.

"I didn't see Mori sempai around."

"He had something come up. His father's guard saw me to the police station and will pick me up there after I finish there." Kasanoda frowned in surprise, but shook his suspicion away. Mori knew the court date was today and had assured him that he would be here. Something wasn't right.

"I will head out first. Excuse me," he said with a bow. Waving his hand for his men to follow, they left the court room. Thinking about how well that went, Haruhi smiled at Ryota.

"We should probably head back to the police station. I want to see if Awai-san and Shidehara-san found anything in the records box of interest." Agreeing with her, they walked out of the court room. Haruhi felt the hair on the back of her neck rise up at the sight of the empty lobby. Reaching a hand to stop Ryota from moving any closer to the front door, Haruhi knew something was wrong. "The guards aren't here. They were supposed to be waiting for us outside the entrance of the court room."

Recognition flickered through Ryota's eyes followed by fear. He was so used to being tailed with a set of guards that he nearly forgot they were there sometimes. Pulling him away from the front doors and beginning to move deeper into the courthouse, Haruhi tried to keep her calm. Every corner they turned there seemed to be no one around. Ryota pulled out his cell phone and tried dialing out for the police unsuccessfully. There seemed to be a phone blocker in place on the building.

"No one knew that I was supposed to be here today except for the other officers on the unit this morning. Do you think we have a mole in the unit," Ryota fretted as he tried to keep up with the girl calmly racing forward.

"We can figure that out later. Right now we need to focus on getting out of here. I got a bad feeling about this," Haruhi said as she spotted an employee side entrance. Hurrying towards the exit, Ryota stopped her from pushing the door open.

"I'll go first. If it's all clear, I'll run a hand through my hair and if it's not….well it's been a pleasure."

"Don't be an idiot and try to sacrifice yourself. We can go together," Haruhi replied as she moved to push against the door. Blocking her easily, Ryota stopped her.

"Absolutely not. If we both die then there will be no one to represent the case. You can bet that no one else in the city would have the guts to take the case if we get taken out." Frowning at him, Haruhi could see his point even if she didn't like it.

"Fine. Keep trying your phone while you are outside. We need help. I'd guess that cell phone blocker was placed somewhere near the center of the courthouse or near where the trial was held meaning we are probably close to escaping its reach. Call someone you know we can trust." Nodding his head, Ryota pushed the door open and walked out into the bright sunlight.

Hikaru was running late to his next meeting across Tokyo. Revving his black crotch rocket louder in annoyance, he watched the traffic officers arguing with the drivers of the car accident. It appeared as if three cars had collided, blocking the intersection in front of the local courthouse and making clean up difficult. Another accident sprung up only a block down at the following intersection from drivers checking out the accident rather than focusing on their driving. Growling inside of his helmet, he considered calling Kaoru to give him a heads up that he would be late. His brother had left the mansion earlier with the limo to prepare the designs for the buyer they were meeting this afternoon. As usual Hikaru had decided to wait until the last minute to leave for the appointment and now he was paying for it. He had even taken his motorcycle to insure that he could speed there rather than try to harass a limo driver into speeding.

Revving the engine again, he spotted a small group of men walking down the front stairs of the court house. Was that Casanova-kun in the center of them? He had not seen him in ages, but surely that was him. Hikaru wondered what had brought the yakuza leader into the courthouse. The group of men froze on the stairs, eyes darting between the two wrecks suspiciously. Casanova-kun ran back into the courthouse as his men followed suit. Perhaps he had forgot something inside? Movement on the side of the courthouse drew his attention away from the scene unfolding. A young man in a grey suit walked quickly out of the courthouse onto the sidewalk and looked around. Running a hand through his brown hair, he seemed relieved as he turned to face the door he came from. As the door open, Hikaru felt his heart stop. The girl walking forward confidently while looking around them resembled Haruhi, at least how he imagined a grown-up Haruhi looked. Dressed in a tight pencil skirt and a matching blazer, she looked the part of a sophisticated lawyer. His thoughts were interrupted however by the sound of gunshots.

Diving at the sharp sounds, Haruhi jumped behind a low cement planter and curled up in a ball. Bullets ricocheted off the cement close enough to whip the wind past her. Looking across the sidewalk, Haruhi felt a small wave of relief as she saw Ryota hiding behind the back of a parked car. Grasping his chest as if his heart was going to rip out, he stared back at her with wide eyes. It had been too close for comfort. Pulling her brief case closer to her ankles, Haruhi opened it to pull out a small powder mirror. Using it to peak around the corner, she spotted the shooters wrestling with several traffic officers and a few of Kasanoda's men. A stray bullet went through the mirror in her hand shattering it and causing her to scream as she dropped it.

"Haruhi," Ryota yelled in concern as he scrambled to the edge of his cover. He considered darting over to her spot to check on her condition, but there was definitely not enough space for both of them behind the planter. Before he could move, a man riding a crotch rocket shot forward over the sidewalk towards them. Skidding around the edge of the planter, he shouted, "Get on!"

In a moment of indecision, Haruhi's eyes flickered over to Ryota who was staring at them in horror. Even in her fear she recognized the voice behind the helmet. "I won't leave my friend here!"

"Get on Haruhi. The police will be here any second. I'll be fine. Just go!" With a last glance at the district attorney, Haruhi took the offered arm and was swung onto the bike.

"Hold on," the driver yelled as he shot forward down the sidewalk away from the erupting yakuza gun fight in front of the court house.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for your feedback and reviews! Next update will probably be before or on **July 17th**. With the end of arc 1 of Shadow Wars coming up, I am going to be publishing one of the other stories I've been working on in addition to continuing this story. I have posted a poll to see what you guys would like to read next so **PLEASE GO VOTE**. I will leave the poll up until the current arc in SW is complete. Rest assured that this story will continue as normal until it reaches completion. Thanks for your input and see you next time!

 **Chapter 10**

Haruhi rested her head against Hikaru's warm back as they sped through town, her hair coming loose in the wind. Her arms were wrapped around his waist tightly as she held on to him for dear life. Pulling into a parking garage beneath a large skyscraper in the Ginza district, they finally pulled to a halt. Hikaru turned off the engine and sat there for a moment wondering what to say. How did you start a conversation with the girl who abandoned you and whom you remained madly in love with? The easier question was how many girls had he fucked that resembled her in hopes of filling the gap in his heart. It made no difference to him in the end. They all meant nothing to him. The moment he saw her and heard her name called above the gunshots, he knew any struggle to find a replacement was over. He wasn't going to let her go again, not until he confessed and made her his. The hands that had heated his core as they held him tightly moments before began to retract and he felt her weight shift off of the bike. Swinging his leg over, Hikaru stood to his full height as he faced her and removed his helmet. Haruhi looked more beautiful than he remembered. With her wind tousled hair and worried expression, it was all he could do to keep from kissing her senseless right there. How could she do this to him after so long? His blood was on fire. It was as if he had been stuck in a terrible nightmare since she had been gone and had finally woken up when she had taken his hand. Which led him to another point, why the hell was she back in Japan getting shot at by some yakuza? Wasn't she supposed to be in Boston finishing up law school? Clipping his helmet to his handlebars, he quickly grabbed her arm and began dragging her towards the elevator. Mounting a protest, Haruhi started to argue but was silenced by the look of deep concentration on his face. Releasing her once inside the elevator, they stood together in silence as he hit the button for the highest floor and swiped his badge. The tension between them was palpable as they silently rode the elevator up.

Kaoru paced in front of the elevator trying his brother's cellphone again. Of all the days to be late, why did he have to choose this one? The clients were already sitting in their office waiting for their arrival with the dress designs for several nominees attending the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony. If his brother was not here in five minutes, he was going to do the presentation alone and hope that he didn't come crashing through the door during the middle of it. The ding of the elevator arriving halted his pacing and he turned expectantly towards it. Nothing could have prepared him for what stood inside. Sweeping out of the elevator, Hikaru apologized for being late, but bluntly explained how he had gotten stalled up in traffic. Kaoru stood shell shocked staring at Haruhi as she slowly stepped out of the elevator awkwardly.

"Hi, Kaoru," she said gently with a small wave. His momentary lapse in thought was interrupted by his brother's next words.

"She was getting shot at and I didn't have time to interrogate her on the way, so can we tie her up in our office while we take care of the meeting? I don't want to risk her getting away before we have some answers." Haruhi's look of concern at his poorly veiled threat brought the seriousness of the situation home to Kaoru. He was angry with her and he had questions, but they were going to need to wait.

"It's a pleasure to see you again Haruhi, but now is not really a good time," Kaoru stated as he wrapped her into a hug. He could feel her curves relaxing gently against his body and see his brother stop in his hunt for something to tie her up with when he saw their occupied office. "It seems you will have to play along with us if you don't want to get tied up."

"What do you mean," she asked skeptically as she pulled away from him. Quickly making a few adjustments to her clothes, he continued talking.

"If you don't want us to show you some of our new skills we've developed in your absence, which granted I'm tempted to do anyways for other reasons, I would suggest you play along." Hikaru shot Kaoru a look that told him that he would have preferred to tie her up no matter the situation, but there was no time to spare. They were going to have to bring her into the meeting and question her afterwards. "We have a very important meeting right now and you will be joining it as of this moment."

Escorting her into their office with an arm each around her back, the twins smiled like Cheshire cats towards their frowning guests.

"I apologize for the wait. My name is Kaoru and this is my brother Hikaru. We are the Hitachiin twins. The lady between us is our first model and muse, Haruhi. Please take good care of us." Bowing professionally to the clients, Haruhi successfully kept the shock and blush hidden behind her smile. She had definitely tried on some clothes for the twins in high school, but that couldn't really be considered modeling. The clients stood up to introduce themselves and return the pleasantries before everyone sat down around the table. The twins were careful to guide her to a seat between them. Keeping her eyes averted, she nearly sighed in irritation as Kaoru purposefully leaned his weight onto her arm rest and Hikaru lazily swung an arm around the back of her chair. It was as if they were trying to cause a misunderstanding with how close they were lounging while still continuing on with their presentation. Several of the clients looked at her skeptically, openly wondering which one of the twins she was with or if she was with both of them as it appeared. Kaoru twisted a strand of her hair around his finger as Hikaru handed out the finished designs. As the clients looked them over with smiles and nods, one of the managers spoke up.

"Would Haruhi-chan be modeling the sample dresses we choose for the presentation at the Tokyo Fall Fashion Walk?"

As Kaoru jumped at the opportunity to lock her in, Haruhi swiftly cut him off. "Though I am delighted you would consider me, I'm afraid that I have other contracts that would interfere with the timing of that event."

Hikaru smirked at the sharp, but polite refusal and mentioned some of the other models they were considering. After agreeing to send over photos of the other models available, everyone stood up to bow to each other and finish the proceedings. Together they walked to the elevator and said their goodbyes. Waving them off, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi continued smiling until the elevator doors closed. Letting out the breath she had been unknowingly holding, Haruhi felt herself slouch in relief.

"Now that that's over with," Hikaru started, but was interrupted as Kaoru picked up Haruhi and started walking away with her struggling form over his shoulder. "Just what I was thinking," he muttered with a smile as he followed after him.

Honey held the basket of fruit and small strawberry cheese cake that he had brought for Mori. He had heard from his father that Mori had not left his room since being moved there after the fight. It wasn't necessarily that his injuries were that bad, but rather a sense of apathy. Honey had decided that he needed to apologize for going as far as he did and hopefully recover their relationship. Both of the Haninozukas hoped that with his apology the two would make peace. Standing outside of the door with his hand outraised to knock, Honey heard the sound of arguing inside.

"What do you mean there were complications," Mori's voice shouted. Honey could not recall a single time in their shared childhood when he had ever heard Mori raise his voice that loud. Freezing in his spot, he wondered if he should come back another time, but his curiosity kept him rooted.

"It never made it back from the courthouse. My teams are working on tracing the plates from the motorcycle as we speak." Honey recognized the voice of Mori's father and wondered if the person they were talking about was the guest staying out in the old villa. The guards outside had seemed on a different rotation today, in comparison to the other day when he had watched them.

"You had promised me. You had promised me-"

"There was no way to know that the police escorts would fail in their duties! I assure you the same mistake will not happen twice," Morinozuka senior spoke over him.

"I need to go. I need to go find-." The sound of the bed frame creaking and the crinkling of pressed sheets was loud enough to drown out the rest of his voice.

"You are in no condition to go at the moment. Let our men take care of it," Honey's father cut in as the sound of Mori's groan in pain sounded. The sound of a struggle and upset sheets brought Honey's fist to the door in a loud, quick rhythm. Instantly all sounds inside stopped. Sliding open the door, Honey took in the situation. Mori had several bandages on his face and body and though he appeared to be attempting to get out of bed, he hadn't gotten very far with both of their fathers pressing down on his shoulders. Seeming to lose the energy in him, Mori relaxed back into the bed and both of the older men looked between them before releasing their holds.

"I brought some cake," Honey muttered quietly and awkwardly held out the basket. Mori's eyes remained glassy and sad as they stared at him.

"Why don't you sit with Mitsukuni for a bit and eat cake? We will be back in a bit," Honey's father commented before he made a quick escape from the room. Giving him a lingering glance in concern, Mori's father followed and shut the door behind him. The tension in the room was high as Honey walked slowly to Mori's bedside.

"I brought your favorite: strawberry cheesecake." Mori laid their silently but gave him a small nod of acceptance. Seating himself at the edge of the bed, Honey set the basket down on the night stand and took out the offering. Mori stared at the young blond man beside him with cautious eyes. Doling out a reasonable slice on a plate and setting it beside Mori, Honey worked at taking out a slice of the same size for himself. "I'm sorry Takashi. I never meant to go that far. Whatever's going on I trust that in good time you will tell me."

Mori reached hand out to ruffle Honey's hair and give him a tender smile. Even if he were angry, which he wasn't, he would always forgive him. Looking up to his open acceptance, Honey felt his eyes water. "I'm just so sorry Takashi," he cried out as he abandoned the cake and grabbed the man in a bear hug. Holding the blonde tightly, he let out a sigh and pat his head. After several moments like that, Honey got control of himself and sat up trying to gather up his dignity. Taking a large bite of cake, he looked away as Takashi sat up against the propped pillows and took up his slice of cake.

"I overheard some of your fight earlier… I don't know what's going on, but let me help. Let me go in your stead to fix whatever mess it is that they made."

"No Mitsukuni," Mori said sadly as he ate another bite of cake. Honey was disappointed that his cousin was choosing not to rely on him. Inside he felt bitter that even his father was privy to whatever was happening on the Morinozuka estate and he was treated as an outsider.

"Takashi you know that I will protect whomever it is you are trying to protect. What is important to you is important to me. Trust me to do the job that I've trained to do."

Shaking his head sadly, Mori gave him a regretful pat. Their fight had made it clear to him that Honey still had a lot of ground to cover before he was ready to forgive Haruhi. He would just have to wait before breaking the news. Silently handing Honey the rest of the cake, he gave him his best sorry smile.

"You are not ready," he said firmly. Sensing the finality of the decision, Honey let out a sigh as he accepted the rest of the cake. His cousin seemed truly regretful, but that didn't make it any easier. If he truly believed that Honey wasn't ready for whatever it was they were working on then maybe, just maybe, he wasn't.

Across town, Kyoya watched the breaking news on a live stream from his computer. The media was having a field day with the modern day shoot out that happened on the courthouse steps this late morning. Thankfully, no one had gotten a clear image of the girl most of the yakuza seemed to be shooting at, but they did unfortunately get a picture of the man she was seen exiting the courthouse with. Hounding him as he entered the police station hours later, the only thing the media could get out of the worried and exhausted looking Ryota Sato was no comment. Rewinding the film, Kyoya looked at the smeared, blurry cell phone video that the media was showing. He already knew that Haruhi's case was scheduled for this morning, but that didn't explain why the Shinjuku district attorney was with her. What had she gotten herself involved with this time? The crappy cell phone video showed a motorcycle rider shooting forward and yanking the girl onto the back of his bike before getting away. From the slender build of the driver, it was safe to assume it was not Mori and where was the devil anyways? He hadn't been answering his phone for quite some time. Wasn't he supposed to have been at the courthouse with her? Sending a message to his team to find the traffic cameras in the area and figure out the license plate number of the motorcyclist, he shut his computer down and packed up his belongings. Reaching up to rub his throbbing forehead Kyoya wondered if having Haruhi in town was always going to bring around this much trouble.

Behind his desk at Ouran, Tamaki carefully fingered the image of Haruhi he had stolen from Kyoya's file. The photographer seemed to have caught her mid laugh with her head thrown back in delight. His heart throbbed with longing and he wondered how much longer Kyoya was going to keep him from going to her. He wanted to sit down and talk with her, to sort out the years old misunderstanding that drove them apart. Deep inside he felt hope that burned and pushed forward. Running a finger over her hair in the picture, he imagined her laughing like this for him as she sat neatly on his lap. Giving her his best smile, he would pull her closer and kiss along her pale neck as she wrapped her hands around him... The sound of a familiar knock on his office door had Tamaki hurrying to slide the photo under some papers on his desk. Folding his hands together in a look of relaxation, he called for Kyoya to enter.

"I hope you don't mind me stopping in for a bit. It seems I will have to work late tonight and wanted to come see you before you went home."

"That's sweet of you," Tamaki said with a smile. Getting up from his desk he went around to the other side to hug his lover. Kissing him gently, Tamaki was surprised when he was kissed back in a forceful manner. Allowing himself to be backed up to his desk, their kisses turned heated and he wondered what had gotten into Kyoya to send him into such a dizzy. It was as if the Shadow King had sensed his wanting and came to answer the call. Nipping gently at the blonde's collar, Kyoya was pleased to hear the soft moan that came from his lips. He hadn't exactly come with the best intentions, but the Host Club King seemed willing anyways. Kissing his way back up to Tamaki's jaw, Kyoya nearly growled his question.

"When is your next meeting?"

"In an hour." Taking that as consent, Kyoya began quickly loosening his tie as Tamaki tried to recover from the onslaught. With the tie abandoned on the floor, his nimble fingers began to work on the buttons of his shirt. Tamaki acknowledged in the back of his mind that this whole visit was unusual for Kyoya. Normally any activity of this sort was left for their apartment, and never had they done something like this in a work setting. He had always thought it was because of how cautious and busy Kyoya was, but the only thing the Shadow King was occupied with at the moment was getting his clothes off. Putting a hand out to stop his efforts, Tamaki questioned him.

"What if someone comes? We won't have time to put clothes back on." Kyoya felt an eyebrow raise in annoyance, but acknowledged his point. Fixing his top buttons he smirked as he spotted the red blush covering his lover's cheeks. Unhooking Tamaki's belt in one go, Kyoya flipped him around to face his desk and pulled down his pants. "And what if someone hears us?"

"Then you better be quiet this time." Unzipping his own slacks he pulled out the small bottle from his pocket and prepared.

"What if I can't-" Tamaki started but was cut off with a groan as Kyoya rubbed his head against his entrance.

"If you can't then we will have to find something to keep you quiet with. May I suggest my tie," Kyoya asked before teasing him again, "Or perhaps you would like to bite on a belt instead?"

"The tie please," Tamaki muttered and Kyoya was happy to oblige him. Leaning over to retrieve the abandoned accessory, he carefully fit the noose over the blonde's mouth.

"If I do anything you don't like or if you want me to stop, stomp on my foot." Shaking his head yes, Tamaki bit into the fine silk as Kyoya finally entered him. Grasping onto the firm wood of his desk, he rocked back into his lover. Sweeping the papers off of Tamaki's desk, Kyoya pushed the blonde's chest against the cold wood and began to take him on the desk as he had planned. When he felt the blonde nearing his climax, he stopped deep inside of him and leaned over his broad back to whisper in his ear.

"By the way Chairman Suoh, I never locked the door." Tamaki's instant thrill at the risk and the ensuing panic caused him to tighten considerably. Twisting Tamaki slightly to the side so that he would have to face the door, Kyoya began to stroke him quickly at a new angle. There was almost a sense of desperation to his movements as he tried to lose himself in the current engagement. Moaning loudly against the tie, Tamaki had no trouble getting lost as the pleasure overwhelmed his logical fear of someone catching them. Staring at the closed door, he felt himself release as Kyoya buried his essence deep within him. Out of the corner of his closing eyes, Tamaki could see the photo of Haruhi staring at them from its place on the floor amongst the scattered papers.

Thousands of miles away, several men in business suits sat around a table watching the afternoon Tokyo news report from the same live internet feed Kyoya had accessed. Frowning at the rider grabbing the woman and whisking her away to safety, the leader of the group picked up the cell phone that had been placed at his seat in advance of the meeting. Dialing the preset number on the burner phone, it rang twice before a man answered in Japanese. Adjusting the phone in the crook of his shoulder, he stood up from the table. The others quickly followed suit and bowed their heads to show their respect. Nodding his acceptance of their behavior, the leader made a shooing motion towards the attendant waiting nervously in the corner. Breaking out into a sprint, the attendant began hurrying up the stairs to the roof to tell the helicopter pilot to begin starting up for the flight to the airport. Turning his back on his men and beginning to follow in the attendant's footsteps, the man began to speak in his low Italian drawl. "Hello Mr. Nakajima, my name is Giovani Burdett. I have a proposition to discuss with you."


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the delay in posting the next chapter. I struggled with trying to make the twin's reactions more accurate to how I imagined it, but realized this morning that this is about as good as it's going to get right now with all of the things going on in my life. Oh and I didn't forget about Honey...his moment is coming.

 **PLEASE GO TO MY PROFILE AND VOTE IN THE POLL!** If I get twenty or more votes I will post two chapters at once for both of my stories.

Next update will probably arrive before or on **August 9th**. Thanks for your continued awesomeness, patience, reviews, support, etc.

 **Chapter 11**

Haruhi pouted against the black leather seat as the helicopter began its descent towards the Hitachiin mansion. The twins spoke quietly to each other across from her, but she refused to look at them after they had manhandled her into the helicopter. Surely they must have known that she would have followed them politely if they had bothered to ask. Puffing out the air she had been holding, she continued to frown out the window as the helicopter began to settle on the ground. As the blades died down, the twins got out and looked back at her expectantly. Unbuckling quickly she shoved off of the seat and stalked past them. The mansion didn't seem to have outwardly changed since high school, though the helipad seemed to be a fairly new addition. Haruhi headed straight for their home office as Kaoru and Hikaru followed close behind her. Telling the servants that they were not to be disturbed under any circumstance, the twins shut the door to the office and faced Haruhi.

"I would have gotten into the chopper willingly if you had asked nicely. There was no need to carry me that way."

"Says the girl who ran all the way to America so she wouldn't have to see us again; Why don't you tell us why you are back in Japan, Haruhi," Kaoru retorted. Haruhi perched atop one of the arms of a desk chair and glared back at him defiantly. Hikaru walked straight to the bottle of scotch sitting on the bookshelf and poured himself a glass. He needed it after a day like today.

"I'm helping Kasanoda out on a case of his. Don't worry I'll be back in Boston by the month's end." Kaoru shook his head in disbelief as he thought about all of the things that could go wrong with taking a yakuza case to court.

"And you thought you could take a yakuza case without protection? Surely Kasanoda would not be that stupid-" Hikaru started after he slammed his empty glass down.

"No I've been staying with Mori sempai," Haruhi started and instantly realized her mistake. Both redheads were looking at her in dismay and betrayal. "I didn't have a choice. Kasanoda hired him to watch me."

"Well he is doing a shitty job of it if this morning was any show of it," Hikaru retorted. Pouring another glass, Hikaru held it out to Kaoru who put drank it effortlessly. Glancing towards Haruhi in question, she declined his wordless offer. "I can't believe that Honey sempai didn't say anything. We just had lunch with him the other day…"

"I don't think Mori told Honey that I'm back yet," Haruhi trailed off as both of them looked back at her shocked.

"There is no way Mori didn't tell Honey. They are almost as close as we are."

"No he might have kept quiet," Hikaru countered his twin with a thoughtful expression. He could recall a handful of times when he had seen the tall man staring longingly at their favorite host when he thought his cousin wasn't looking. If he thought he had a shot at having Haruhi, maybe, just maybe Mori had been willing to forsake his own cousin to get her. Hikaru's thoughts turned inward- would he betray Kaoru if it gave him Haruhi? Shaking his head to clear it of the notion, he knew he wouldn't have it in him to do so. He would share her with his brother if she would allow it. They had shared every woman so far and there had been no complaints from any of the females in question. Kaoru looked thoughtfully at his brother and wondered why he had disagreed. Not to be brought off topic, he continued his questions.

"Who else knows that you are back? And why wasn't Mori around when my brother here saved your ass?"

"He didn't show up for the escort detail this morning…I honestly don't know where he is," Haruhi stated purposefully. Leaning against the back of the chair, she frowned as she thought it over. "That should have been warning bells to me right off the bat."

"And the others," Hikaru pressed. He could tell from her body language that the question made her uncomfortable and he wondered if everyone else already knew that she was here. Were they the only ones left in the dark?

"Kyoya knows. He confronted me the other night when I was picking up information at Ouran," Haruhi replied carelessly. It seemed obvious that the Shadow King would know her whereabouts at all times. No one could escape him.

"You," Kaoru exclaimed moving closer to her with a spark in his eyes, a spark that Hikaru mirrored. Was she the girl in red that had slipped through his fingers? Standing a step away from her it was easier to see the gentle curves that were near identical to the mysterious girl's form. "You were there that night at the ball weren't you?"

"I was there for a short while picking up some documents from Kasanoda. Your manners haven't really improved much have they Hikaru." Blushing profusely in embarrassment, he looked out the window and turned away from her. How would everything have changed if his brother hadn't made him let her go? A similar string of thoughts were running through his twin's mind. Why hadn't she just revealed herself to them while dancing or afterwards before slipping away?

"I'm sorry I…you see…it's been difficult since you left." Turning his embarrassment and shame into anger he directed it towards her. "You left to go to Boston and tore everything apart. Nothing's been the same! We haven't been the same!"

"Hikaru," his brother snapped cutting him off. Inside he felt the same anger at her departure, but he wasn't going to hit her over the head with it. He could see the way Haruhi's face darkened at the mention of her transgression against them. If she felt guilty for leaving then why did she go in the first place? "I'm sorry Haruhi, but it has been a bit hard since your departure. Perhaps you wouldn't mind explaining why you told Tamaki that you never wanted to see us again?"

"I just needed some time alone and he was breathing down my neck. I wanted get to law school on my own power and hard work, not on whatever connections you guys could give me. You all would have gift wrapped the world and put it down at my feet, but you wouldn't give me what I actually wanted," Haruhi stood and paced the length of the office as her own anger spiked.

"We were family-," Hikaru started but was cut off as Haruhi turned and glared at him.

"I never thought of you guys as family! How could I look at six handsome men that I spent every day with as family? No I," Haruhi stopped herself from spilling the rest of her guts. She had already said too much already. Haruhi felt like she needed to leave. If she had looked up from the floor she might have caught the matching shifting expressions on the twins' faces as they rapidly began putting pieces together. Things were not fitting together as they had been led to believe. Tamaki's little story didn't quite line up with the way Haruhi had just reacted. There was something more here going on that Haruhi wasn't telling them. Pulling out her cell phone, Haruhi began dialing the number for the Morinozuka residence. "I need to call Mori sempai and return to the safe house. It's too dangerous for me to be out and about like this unguarded."

"Wait! Can you hold off on calling him for a while? At least have dinner with us and give us a chance to catch up before he takes you back to his fortress. We're sorry for upsetting you."

"He's probably worried…," Haruhi trailed off guiltily as her anger dwindled.

"Please Haruhi, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry as well. Please don't go…" Of all of the hosts, she had missed the twin's company severely. They had been her best friends and her classmates. In hindsight, she knew that she really should have called Takashi before they went into the meeting and probably should have called Ryota as well. Her mind turned back to the case and the difficulties in store. Flopping down in her chair she considered the weight of the phone in her hand and the guilt she felt inside. She didn't want the whole host club to know she was back and yet here she was with at least four of the six in the know. Kaoru kneeled before her and lifted a hand to caress her cheek. Cupping her jaw he guided her head up to look at him. Taking her small folded hands within one of his own, he brought them to his lips. He kissed her softly and gave her a pleading look that had melted many a woman's resolve.

"I've missed you so much Haruhi. If I promise we'll behave and take you home after dinner, will you stay? Hikaru can call Mori sempai and tell him you are safe while we head downstairs to the dining room." Haruhi couldn't keep herself from finally relenting with a small blush, shaking her head yes soundlessly. Kaoru smiled at her and she felt the room brighten. They weren't quite on the same terms as they were before, but at least the anger was clearing the air. Catching his brother's drift, Hikaru smirked at them both and laid a hand on her shoulder. Their plaything was back…and they were not going to let her go until they figured out the truth.

Kyoya retied his slightly wet tie as he got into the limo. His driver closed the door and within moments, they were on the way to his next appointment. The man assigned to the sniper's interrogation had finally cracked him and was ready to report in his findings. Checking his emails on his phone, Kyoya sighed as he saw the stack of work awaiting him. Numerous investments were coming to a head and if he wanted to profit from them he needed to turn the market in his way. Time slipped away before he was brought back to the present situation by a knock on the car door. Getting out of the limo with a short nod to his driver, Kyoya walked into the private coffee shop and went straight to the booth behind the kitchen. Greeting the man with a short bow, he wasted no time in getting to business.

"He was paid two hundred billion yen in cash up front with the promise of double if he was successful. No name, no association. They approached him at his cover job with the offer."

"You took quite a bit of time with your little talk."

"He wasn't easy to break. Let's just say, he is taken care of now." Nodding his head, Kyoya stood up and bowed to him.

"Your payment will be in the same account as usual. Thank you for your hard work." Stepping through the café, Kyoya's phone lit up with a text message. Glancing down at the screen, he felt himself sigh at the message's contents. His team had finally figured out the owner of the motorcycle. He was going to have to push back the rest of this evening's meetings to handle this. Getting into the limo, Kyoya tapped on the divider. As it slid open, he wiped the scowl off his face and addressed his driver.

"Change in plans, take me to the Hitachiin Mansion."

Boston's District Attorney Johnathan Coleman always worked out at the local boxing club, The Fighting Irish, after work. There was something relaxing about hitting the bag and sparring with his fellow gym mates that helped him keep a handle on the crazy life he led. Slamming his fists into the heavy bag, he felt the sweat running down his back. There hadn't been any hearings to attend today, however there had been several interruptions by his staff asking if he saw the Tokyo news this morning. Everyone in his office knew that his favored right hand had returned to her homeland for personal reasons, even if they didn't know the details. He had of course kept in touch with her despite the time difference and knew that she had taken on a case from an old friend. Haruhi's last email had been sent before the initial hearing and though he had tried emailing and calling her several times throughout the day, she had not answered. The news report had left him on edge and as such, he had stayed longer at the gym than usual, working out the tension.

Johnathan could still remember the first time that he met Haruhi when they met in Boston University's School of Law. He had been tuckered out from waiting tables the night before at the Irish pub his brother owned, but had managed to get there early for his first class. Taking a seat in the front row, he was unperturbed by the absence of students in the immediate vicinity. Almost everyone had sat in the back of room, prepared to sleep behind their textbooks and bags if the professor droned on going over the syllabus. Waiting for the professor to arrive to begin class, he dozed lightly on his tattered notebook. It was the sound of a mound of textbooks slamming down beside his ear that startled him out of his slumber and nearly out of his seat. The petite girl sliding her backpack down to rest at her feet stared at him skeptically.

"If you are going to sleep through class, you best do it in the back. Dr. Phillip is known for holding grudges come grading time," she state evenly as she slid into the seat next to him. He wanted to snap at her for so rudely waking him, but held his tongue when he saw her pull out a notebook that looked almost as ratty as his. Opening it up, she ignored his gaping mouth and began taking notes from the top textbook in her stack.

"Are you really going to read all of those books," he asked completely floored by the idea of someone else doing exactly what he liked to do when he wasn't in class or busy working. There were at least six thick textbooks, three workbooks of case studies, and some additional textbooks in Japanese in her stack. The only time Johnathan could recall ever seeing a fellow student putting in that much effort was when they were about to fail out of the class, but since it was day one of the new year he was confident that that was not the case.

"Well I won't do it all in one sitting, but it seems like a good place to start, no?" Sensing a kindred spirit, he turned in his seat to get a better look at her. Her shaggy shoulder length brown hair didn't do much for her, but there was something strong in her gaze that told him that there was more beneath the surface.

"Are you by any chance a scholarship student as well?" Offering his hand out and a timid smile, Johnathan introduced himself. Returning his firm handshake with a firm handshake of her own, she smiled at him and told him her name. Little did he know that that would be the beginning of a close friendship between them.

Shaking out his aching hands, Johnathan began stretching out as he stared at his silent phone across the room. All he wanted was for it to ring and it to be Haruhi telling him that she was fine. The work they did often became so dangerous… When the phone did suddenly beep he was over to it within moments. Slamming the phone open he shoved it against his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello Johnnyboy," the gruff voice greeted, instantly killing any hopes he had of the caller being Haruhi, "You know who I am, don't you?"

"Yes I do." The nasally voice of a smoker who had taken in more than a lifetime's worth of nicotine resounded with each spoken syllable. Since this was his private cell phone and only used for close associates that left only one person that could match the voice on the line. His man on the inside of the last project he and Haruhi had completed. Seeming to realize that joking about the serious matter at hand wouldn't ease the blow, the caller held his breath for a few moments in silence before spilling the news.

"Your little bird is in danger, Johnathan. They couldn't get to you, so they decided to go after her." Instant fear raised all of the hair on the back of his neck at the simple statement. Getting to his feet, he paced quickly as his mind ran through a billion different scenarios.

"She is safely out of the country. The Burdetts have no power in Japan."

"Have you seen the news lately?" Irritation at the reminder that there had been a shooting at a courthouse and Haruhi's unknown whereabouts flowed over him. If there were easy to understand emotions, it would be irritation and anger.

"Of course I have-"

"Then you should know that she hasn't exactly been making friends over there. Let's just say the Italians caught wind of it and have made some new allies." A number of expletives escaped his lips as he ran a hand anxiously through his hair.

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll let her know to be on guard."

"No, you don't understand. The whole family is on lockdown. Our father left town last night." Johnathan's gut dropped to his worn out sneakers. Kicking at the edge of the boxing ring, he tried to restart his frozen heart.

"Are you telling me that the next head of the Boston Italian mafia is on a plane to Japan right now?"

"And he's got a meeting with her new enemies there… he's going to ensure that the only way Haruhi Fujioka sets foot back on American soil is in a body bag." Grabbing his gym bag, he quickly began packing up his things. There was no time to waste.

"Thanks for the info. I know it's risky putting your neck out for me." The click of the phone call ending greeted his thanks. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, Johnathan started running towards his car. Dialing the number he knew by heart, he called her again and again. How could he help her if he was all the way over here? If she wasn't answering her phone, then there was only one solution. Johnathan Coleman was going to have to find a way to Japan.


	12. Chapter 12

The move was successful and besides a few family vacations coming up, I am free to write again. Next update will be August 20th. You guys have gotten 8 out of the 20 votes necessary for a double chapter release. Please head over to my profile and vote in the poll! As always, thank you for your support and patience.

 **Chapter 12**

"-and Johnathan tripped over the leg of table spilling the mug of beer all over the girl just like I had predicted! I laughed so hard I fell off my bar stool," Haruhi laughed as she shared that memory with them. Sipping her fifth glass of red wine, she was happy that she had stayed for dinner. They had talked about everything outside of her current case and why she had left. She might have gotten a little tipsy, but they seemed just as red faced as her, regaling her with tales of their most epic pranks since her departure. She in turn shared some of the funnier moments that she had lived through with her classmates.

"It seems like you spend a lot of time with this Johnathan guy," Hikaru commented.

"I wouldn't say it's anything more than the usual for two attorneys working together. His work as a DA brings in the kind of high profile cases that my law firm likes to take. Thus it's been natural to continue our relationship from school into the field. I've lost touch with most of my other classmates."

Kaoru finished his glass and rolled the dregs around the bottom. Even though she had painted him in the friend zone, both Hikaru and Kaoru secretly nursed a general dislike for the guy in question. The way that he involved her in his dangerous work was one point against him, but it was really his consistent presence in her life over the past few years that truly rubbed them the wrong way. He had been there for her when they had not. It might not have been obvious to her that he held a candle for her, but it was apparent to them. Johnathan had seemingly gone out of his way to work with her and spend time with her, and yet she remained as clueless to his feelings as she was to theirs in high school. Then again, what sort of guy would take up a challenge to go flirt with another girl at the bar from the girl he likes? Wasn't that working against his own goals? Perhaps he spilled that beer on purpose to get out of the task and return back to her quickly.

Refilling his glass silently, the butler slipped a note beneath the glass for Kaoru. Picking up the note, he read it and felt a headache coming on.

"Why don't we take this dinner party on the road? We can grab dessert from this restaurant I know over in Roppongi." Quirking a curious expression towards his twin, Hikaru spotted the corner of the note and felt his heart start racing in its alcohol infused state. Someone was onto their little game.

"Oh yes, Haruhi. The shop is delightful. You must let us get dessert before we take you home," Hikaru added with an expectant smile.

"Well I suppose that is part of dinner," Haruhi replied slowly. Finishing her glass of wine, the twins gulped down their own glasses before they all set off together towards the limo. Giggling at Kaoru and Hikaru's sudden nervousness, Haruhi looped her arms through both of theirs. "Jeez guys, it's not like we are going on a date. Relax."

"Would you like to go on a date with us, Haruhi," Hikaru asked suddenly serious as he stared hard into her eyes. Swatting his captured arm gently, Haruhi smiled at him.

"Don't be silly, Hikaru. If the world found out that we three were dating, can you imagine the scandal? And how the rest of the host club would act?" She gave a shudder of horror and pulled them forward. Sliding into the limo after Kaoru, she was squeezed between them on the soft leather seats.

"I don't care what the rest of the world thinks," Kaoru said with a pout as he fixed a strand of hair behind her ear. Haruhi felt herself instantly getting smitten from the smoldering glance he was throwing her and Hikaru's hand on her knee was not helping. Her mouth open and closed silently as Haruhi tried to get some air into her lungs.

"In fact, I think I would like it better if the whole world knew you were ours," Hikaru whispered into her ear. Haruhi felt herself tense in a mixture of arousal and fear. She was scared that they would notice how much their offer appealed to her. Her secret needed to remain hidden and the raging emotions bottled down beneath her cool exterior needed to stay there. Even though she knew they were probably just pulling a prank on her, she let herself picture the possibilities for a hot second.

Within that fraction of a moment, Haruhi was seriously tempted to give in and try being only theirs. It was the knowledge that any relationship founded without complete honesty was liable to fail from the start that bound her lips tight. She would be holding out on them if she said yes. She couldn't fully satisfy them or be completely theirs…not when her heart still belonged to the entirety of the host club. As long as she was like this, she could never happily choose to be with just one or two of them. Whether or not she wanted to admit to it, Haruhi loved them all. However, all of her thoughts were temporarily short circuited by the pressure of Hikaru nibbling on her ear lobe gently. Unable to stop herself in time, Haruhi let out a sensual gasp as her hand quickly tried to cover her mouth. Both twins smirked victorious as she squirmed uncomfortably between them in embarrassment.

"Don't be such a tease, Hikaru," Haruhi complained as she turned to face him. His eyes were at half-mast as he stared at her plush glistening lips.

"I'd say it's just the alcohol…," he started as he nuzzled his cheek against hers and sighed into her ear. His brother had his arms wrapped around her, but she didn't seem to notice that he was holding her. Hikaru wished that he could tease her the way that he wanted to. He would tease her right up to the brink over and over again, until she was begging him to finish her. Only then would he allow her to come over the edge. His mind temporarily scattered as her hand gripped his knee tightly. He wished her small hands would hold something else in the same manner. Kaoru must have grazed her breast with the back of his arm as he adjusted his hands because her attention became completely focused on him rather than the tight hold she had on Hikaru's knee.

"But then he'd be lying," Kaoru finished with a smirk.

Kyoya slammed open the doors to the Hitachiin dining room as the butler sputtered excuses behind him. The empty room still held the remnants of their dinner and several abandoned wine glasses. Cursing the twins beneath his breath, Kyoya picked up one of the wine glasses and was pleased to find it still cold from its previous liquid occupant. He must have barely missed them.

"You wouldn't happen to know where your masters have gone with their guest, would you," Kyoya asked as he set down the glass and turned to face the stuttering butler.

"No, of course not Ootori-sama." The man's slight tremble under Kyoya's glare told him he wasn't being completely honest. Smiling at him, he slowly stalked towards him.

"You know who I am and what I could do if you aren't cooperative with me, don't you Kurosaki-san," Kyoya started but stopped when he heard loud banging nearby. Someone else must have figured out that the Hitachiins had taken the missing lawyer. Grimacing at having to cut short the conversation, he turned his attention back to the butler who was staring towards the sound of banging with sheer horror. Using the situation to his advantage, Kyoya smiled at the man. "I'm not the only person seeking their dinner guest…though from the sounds of it, I might be the most pleasant. It seems we will have to continue this chat some other time. Granted if you tell me what I want to know, I might consider helping you get out of here and send you off with a considerably sized gift for your troubles."

Not waiting for the man's decision, Kyoya quickly began walking towards the back entrance where he had left his limo. There was no need to risk meeting the individuals that had broken in…he already knew exactly who they were. He would have his answer one way or the other, it was simply a matter of time and money. The butler's cooperation could save him some effort, but it was no matter of trouble. The sound of stumbling footsteps coming after him and the call to wait told him the answer he wanted to hear. The Shadow King always got his way.

Haruhi let out a breath of relief as they pulled into the Morinozuka estate. Dessert, while delicious, had been slightly rushed in her haste to escape the devious twins. If the driver had not knocked on the window and opened the door to let them know that they had arrived at the dessert shop, she could only imagine what they might have done in the back seat of their limo. Their flirting had only increased during dessert as they found every opportunity to touch her, feed her, and tease her. Now spotting the looming torrii that stood before the house entrance, Haruhi felt herself relax. As if sensing her thoughts, the twins shared a mischievous smirk.

Thanking the twins for their hospitality, Haruhi got out of the limo with the intention of following the waiting guards back to her room. She was therefore surprised when the twins followed her out. Giving them both a hug goodbye, Haruhi started to walk away when she spotted their driver pulling out two small suitcases from the trunk. A look of confusion passed over her and that's when she noticed the Cheshire cat smiles.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"We are coming to stay with you," Kaoru replied as the driver set the suitcases down in front of the equally confused guards. Wrapping his arm around Haruhi's waist, he pulled her forward towards the guards.

"Yeah, we figured since Mori is doing such a terrible job at protecting you, we should keep an eye on you." The guards eyed both of the twins skeptically and one of them radioed in asking if it was acceptable. The reply from the head of security saw no problem with it if his answer was any indication.

"It should be fine," one of the guards muttered to another, but Haruhi began to protest.

"How am I supposed to get any work done if the two of you are around? No, you guys need to go home."

"But Haruhi," Kaoru started with a hurt expression, "we've missed you."

"We have to get some work done too. It will be like we aren't even there," Hikaru added as he motioned to the guards to grab the bags. Skeptically, one of the guards picked up the suitcases and began walking down the path. He tried to usher Haruhi after the guard, but she locked her knees and rooted herself.

"Like hell it will be," Haruhi threw back at them. If they weren't pulling pranks on her, they were bound to be distracting her in other ways. Plus, it wasn't safe for them to be around her, not now with the case going to trial.

"Pardon me Fujioka-san. We cannot stay out here much longer. This location is not secure," one of the guards interrupted. Throwing a glare at them, she turned back to the twins.

"You can't stay with me. There's already been several attacks on my life and it's probably going to get worse. I can't have you guys in the line of fire."

"Haruhi, stop trying to be strong by yourself," Hikaru leaned over and laid a wet, loud kiss on her forehead, instantly turning her face red, "you will never be alone again. We are coming with you and that's the end of it. I won't hear of you sending us away. If you are in danger, then we will face it together."

"How can you just barge into someone's home like this? Mori sempai didn't even invite you," Haruhi sputtered as she tried to grab onto any weak defense she could think of. Kaoru was already following the guard back towards her sanctuary and Hikaru tugged her along. Begrudgingly her knees gave way and she began walking with him.

"Just go with it, Haruhi. If Mori sempai didn't want us here, his father wouldn't have opened the gates for the limo. He will probably be around shortly to speak with us."

Across the Morinozuka estate, Akira Morinozuka and Yorihisa Haninozuka were breaking the news to Takashi that Haruhi had returned safely.

"If you will excuse me, I would like to go see her," Mori replied as he slipped out of bed and started getting dressed. Honey was passed out on the bed still after they had spent the afternoon reconnecting. If he left now, he could be back before he was missed.

"Takashi, now is probably not a good time to be going to see her," his father interrupted. Raising a skeptical eyebrow at him, Mori finished adjusting his shirt and tying the strings on his shorts. They had already stopped him twice today from leaving and now he held the slightest suspicion that maybe his father didn't want him to see her. Perhaps her self-imposed isolation earlier in the week had not by choice, but imposed upon her by the only person who could surpass his authority within this household: his father. "It seems she brought two men back with her…to stay the night."

Instantly, Takashi felt his eyes narrow in concern and a twinge of jealousy at his father's implied meaning. If Haruhi was…with someone then he shouldn't be interrupting, but didn't she say that she didn't want anyone finding out that she was back in Japan? Who could she have brought back? Shaking the notion out of his head, he reasoned that she probably brought back some people from the police station that were helping her work on the case. One way or another, he was going to find out.

"See to it that the guards know to let me past, no matter what her wishes are." Slipping past his father, he hurried down the hallway towards the side entrance. Sighing loudly at his departure, Akira met Yorihisa's sad eyes before both looked back at the sleeping form of the Haninozuka heir.

"She is going to break their hearts again, isn't she," Akira whispered quietly.

"Undoubtedly."

"We have to try harder to separate them. Go ahead and start making the arrangements we discussed earlier. I believe they will be necessary after all."

"And this is my room," Haruhi said as she stood in the doorway waving her arm inwardly at the small futon laid in the corner. She hadn't bothered to fold it up and put it away in the rush to get ready this morning. The twins' luggage was already neatly placed beside her own open suitcase. While her suits and button up blouses for work were neatly pressed and hanging in the closet, the rest of her clothes seemed to roil in waves from the open mouth of her suitcase. Hikaru brushed past her and flopped on top of her bed before smiling coyly up at her.

"It seems we will have to share," he said with a smirk and Haruhi rolled her eyes. She definitely needed another glass of wine if she was going to be dealing with these hooligans all night. Leaving her briefcase in the hallway, she made her way around the garden to the kitchen.

"I'll ask the guards to bring another two futons for you guys."

Walking over to the fridge, Haruhi fixed herself a glass and stepped out to make her request to the guard at the front door. Spotting Kaoru in her office, she meandered forward. Sipping her wine and leaning against the doorframe, she saw the way his fingers lingered on the scrawling loops of her handwriting covering the whiteboard.

"Careful you don't erase anything," she commented as he startled slightly. Giving her a gentle smile, he dropped his hand and looked back at her board.

"I'm always impressed by how smart you are Haruhi. Putting together something like this," he waved towards the network drawn on the board, "is truly impressive. How do you even process all of this information and find connections?"

"It's just how my brain processes things," Haruhi said slowly as she walked towards him. Looking over the network, she knew that there were still points missing. After the twins were settled, she would try to brainstorm what she was missing and go from there. Probably wouldn't get much done though. Red wine always hit her like a ton of bricks. The rattle of the front door being slammed open and the sound of heavy footfall caught their mutual attention. Passing it off as the guards bringing in the extra futons, Haruhi continued staring at the web. What had caused the protection detail to leave without her and Ryota this morning and how did that fit into the network?

"Thank kami you're alright," a warm bass voice stated from behind her. Turning around, she spotted Mori looking relieved from his spot in the door frame. A gasp issued from her lips, not from the surprise of his arrival, but the state of his appearance. He had definitely been in a fight.

"What happened to you," Haruhi said as she rushed forward to examine him. Her feather like hands flitted over the apparent bruises and bandages on his arms and face. His knees hit the floor with a resounding thud.

"It doesn't matter. I was not there to protect you today when you needed me." Mori performed a perfect dogeza as Haruhi tried to pull him up. Kaoru stared at him in shock and horror. The only martial artist he knew to be strong enough to beat Mori sempai was Honey, but they had never fought to this extent. Any of their previous fights had been short walks in the park in comparison to whatever this fight had been…if the fight had been with Honey at all.

"No, it's ok. There's no harm done. I'm fine. Everything is ok. Please get up."

"I forsook my duty to accompany and guard you today.-" He would have continued if not for Haruhi wrapping her arms around him in an awkward hug. The warmth of her body against him and the puff of warm air from her lips across his lower back stopped his apology half started.

"I forgive you Takashi, now please get up." For a moment, they sat there together, gauging each other's reaction. It was as if Kaoru was not even in the room, though the twin in question was leaning against the wall watching them with a hawkish eye. He had heard her slip of tongue using his given name and wondered what had changed between them to warrant such familiarity. A lick of jealousy passed by him, but it was put out by the reminder that she had always called him and his brother by their first names.

Raising his head slowly, Mori straightened his back out and look at her with pitiful eyes. Cupping his cheek with her hand, Haruhi let him feel the depth of her concern. "Now tell me what happened to you?"

Takashi leant into her hand and sighed. Somehow all of the problems of the world seemed to slip away when she touched him softly like this. The clearing of Kaoru's throat reminded him that they were not alone and brought Mori back to the present moment from the short fantasy detour his mind had taken.

"Mitsukuni and I had a disagreement. He is not ready to see you yet."

"Did he do this to you," Haruhi asked as her fingers skimmed his bandaged nose. The damage from the fight was prominent and fresh meaning they must have fought recently. Mori had been staying away from her for days though. Where had he been all of this time?

"Our fight left me out of service for a while," he quietly acknowledged.

"Then where have you been all this time? It's been days and I've lonely here without you." Realization struck Mori as he suddenly put the pieces together.

"You didn't request the guards to keep me away, did you?"

"No, why would I ever do that," Haruhi asked looking at him with a look of confusion. His father's demand that he not go to her and the guards' insistence that he could not enter the villa by her request suddenly made terrible sense. Could his own father be in on the plot against Haruhi and be trying to keep him out of the way?


	13. Chapter 13

I'm sorry that this chapter is coming a bit shorter than I originally intended. As I'm nearing the climax of my other story, I have found it extremely difficult to write anything outside of that story and as such, I will be taking a temporary hiatus until I can either finish the arc of my main story or purge enough of it out of my system to be able to write for Ouran again. The deal still holds regarding the 20 votes (you have 10 of 20 as of this update). Thanks for your ongoing support and hopefully I will have something for you guys in a few weeks.

 **Chapter 13**

There is a specific sound that flesh makes when it meets hard surfaces at a high velocity. It almost has a vibrating ring to it that signals the finality of an argument or the end of a fight. Any man or woman that has worked on the darker side of the law knows that sound well, even if they are at the top of the food chain. The airplane door that had been shut when the intruder had entered the galley of the plane, was shoved open and a broken body tumbled down the stairs. Wet human flesh slammed against metal, ringing out a welcome toll to those who were present. Ignoring the seeping blood stains, the victor stood unflustered at the top looking down upon his work. Lowering his sunglasses over his eyes and brushing imaginary lint from his perfectly ironed suit, he took careful measured steps to avoid getting blood on his imported leather shoes. Stepping over the body crumbled on the last steel stair, Giovani Burdett descended onto Japanese soil.

The men standing at attention by the limo stood just the slightest bit taller as the Italian grinned wolfishly at them. The hair on the back of their necks stood up in fear at his approach. What sort of man conducts himself like that? The driver was the only one able to bring himself to move. Opening the door with a deep bow, he stepped away.

"Thank you boys for the gift, but I can handle myself without a bodyguard." A chuckle resounded from the darkness of the limo and a slim figure in a business suit stepped out to greet him with a firm handshake. Tanaka Nakajima was the sort of man that blended into the everyday crowd of Japanese businessmen with his unimposing stature and thick black hair. In fact many of his business associates often confused him for a civilian contractor upon their first meeting, but he always brought them a gift in some form to remind them who they were dealing with. Usually he preferred to present the head of an enemy, but since the Italian had supposedly come alone he had thought a bodyguard for the fellow mob leader would be more appropriate. The guard gave him an easy way to learn more about the bold man who crossed an ocean on seemingly a whim and pick up any information that he could use. The quick and efficient disposal of his man pleased his sick twisted heart more than he cared to admit. Sensing that he was in the presence of an equal, Nakajima had even stepped out of the comfort of his limo and offered his hand, a respect he had paid no other stranger before. It wasn't often that he found someone as powerful or as fun to play with as the American Italian.

Both leaders exuded the confidence of alphas as their hands met. Neither would back down or admit inferiority, and there was a recognition of that between them. The Italian had already proved himself ruthless, and now it was time for him to gauge where exactly the leader of the Sendo Syndicate stood.

"It is a pleasure to meet you in person Mr. Burdett. I am Tanaka Nakajima."

"I hope you have some place in mind that we may discuss the finer points of our previous discussion."

"Of course. If you will please," he said waving towards the interior of the limo. Together the two of them got into the limo and began the short drive off the private airport premises.

Haruhi was not surprised to wake up in a tangle of limbs. Though they had talked together for hours over her remaining bottle of red wine, Mori had dragged the twins to their futons in the office before anyone could fall asleep in her room. However sometime during the night, she had woken up to arms gently wrapping around her, shortly followed by another set of arms. Attributing this to the twins, she had only turned in her sleep and accepted their presence. It wasn't the first time they had snuck into her bed nor did she doubt the last. What she had not been expecting was waking up atop a bare masculine chest. Opening her eyes, she could see across the broad planes of Mori's chest that Hikaru was sleeping peacefully across from her. Sitting up slowly so that the arms surrounding her would slowly slide down undisturbed, Haruhi got a better look at the situation. She had been curled into the side of Takashi's chest trapping Hikaru's arm between them and Kaoru was spooning her from behind. Trying to ignore the swell of feelings rising in her chest, Haruhi slipped out of their embrace and walked silently towards the kitchen.

The upscale restaurant played music quietly in the background as the two men took their seats in the center of the dining room. Empty of customers, the joint was running on a barebones staff as per request of their guests. Taking up the menus, both pretended to look at the options when in reality they sized up each other.

"Usually I prefer to take a walk when discussing matters such as these."

"You will find that there are police boxes on most of the corners here in Tokyo. You are free to speak as you wish here."

"I want Haruhi Fujioka dead." Picking up the glass of wine, the Italian stared openly at the yakuza leader as he sipped the wine. It wasn't really his style to beat around the bush and he wanted to know where the yakuza head stood. If he was going to deny the proffered deal then Mr. Burdett could turn elsewhere or simply send for some of his men to enter the country and take care of it. He figured it would be much simpler if he got someone who knew the lay of the land to accomplish the task.

"I don't particularly care if she is dead or not. I just simply want her off of the Hongo Mercantile case. Though it seems I won't have much of a choice now since she won't be frightened off."

"I can tell," Mr. Burdett scoffed, "You have underestimated her. My brother made the same mistake."

"And how did he turn out?"

"Twenty five years with no chance at parole. Trust me when I say the only way to get rid of her is to bury her six feet under in a locked casket." The waitress timidly came forward to refill their glass and take their orders. Smiling warmly at her, the Italian watched her blush at his open perusal of her figure. Nakajima brushed her off as he gave her their orders and sent her on her way. Watching the slip of a girl return to the kitchen, the men turned their attention back to each other.

Haruhi sipped the mug of black coffee as she dangled her feet off the edge of the hallway into the garden. Streaks of the morning sun could be seen peaking over the sharp angled rooftop and she could hear the birds chirping from nearby. The koi fish tossed their heads hungrily, breaking the surface of the pond water as they waited for their morning breakfast to arrive. Steady footsteps approached her from behind. Looking over her shoulder, Haruhi watched Mori sit down beside her with a matching mug of coffee.

"Two creams and one sugar," she asked trying to look into his cup.

"Black," he replied as he looked over towards the fish. Haruhi smiled to herself as she looked at her own coffee. Together they sat together in silence as the sun rose higher.

"And a failed effort that was," Mr. Burdett mocked as Tanaka rolled his eyes. It seems that the Italian mob boss was aware of every attempt he had made at scaring off the steadfast lawyer, even those not known by the public. He had to admit that he was impressed by his resources. It wasn't often that a foreigner was able to get a man in his ranks to play him. Nakajima wondered who had squealed, but couldn't help but respect the man in front of him. It wasn't often that someone came into to foreign territory that well prepared.

"You laugh, but it has scared off quite a few others who considered submitting cases against me. After disposing of my brother publicly as a warning, I figured no other lawyer would have the balls to press charges. Then in comes your idiot with no sense of self preservation."

"And no sense of economics either. We offered her an amount that shouldn't be scoffed at and she didn't even blink an eye. Had the police bring down the messenger in the process," Mr. Burdett complained as he finished his glass of wine. The waitress timidly brought out the third course and refilled their wine glasses before slipping away. Swallowing a piece of the cold soba noodles before him, Nakajima mused aloud.

"It's such a shame she can't be swayed to our side. A powerful lawyer like her would make an excellent consigliere or perhaps a yakuza wife? She would rule the gang with a slight wave of her fingers and the boys would probably fall over themselves to please her." Frowning slightly at the younger man, Mr. Burdett considered the different angle. He did have a son of a younger age that was carrying on work within his organization, but vengeance for his brother's honor took priority. The girl had to pay for the crime she committed.

"Do you really think your father is behind my isolation?"

"Either him or Haninozuka-san. There is no one else who has the power to conduct his personal guard like that." Together they lapsed into silence and Haruhi admired the pale yellow butterfly that fluttered into the garden. Watching it touch down on the pale pink flowers on a nearby bush, she smiled sadly.

"If he is against us-"

"It changes nothing," Mori interrupted as he calmly watched the butterfly, "Either way I will protect you." Haruhi blushed slightly at his words and hid it behind her coffee mug as she took another sip. A loud yawn signaled the approach of a twin from behind them. Glancing back, Haruhi watched Kaoru stretch and flop down beside her. Putting his head in her lap, he pouted at her.

"It's so bright out here. Couldn't you have picked a shadier spot to sit?"

"Perhaps you shouldn't have had so much to drink last night," Haruhi replied with a smile. Unconsciously her hand slowly rose and wound into his tresses. Nearly purring at her attentions, Kaoru leaned into her belly and sighed. "Care for anything to drink before breakfast?"

"Mimosa with the finest champagne you got," he mumbled against her night shirt clothed belly. Rolling her eyes at his request she chuckled quietly.

"Make that two mimosas," Hikaru stated from the door way with an arm over his eyes. Shaking his head gently in laughter, Mori mocked the twins. He found it funny how though they were the ones who insisted everyone drank last night, yet despite their efforts, only they were suffering from hangovers.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to get rid of her bodyguards at the courthouse?"

"I had my resources prepare actors that resembled her and the man she left the police station with. It was then as simple as having them staged in the correct clothes in the back of the courtroom prior to their arrival and having the actors leave the room before they did. Since guards are not permitted inside the courtroom, there was no way for them to know there were lookalikes inside. The police detail escorted the doubles out of the area before realizing they had the wrong pair and by that time, it was too late."

"Not bad," Mr. Burdett said as he shook his head with the slightest amount of admiration. It was the sort of plan he would come up with, but less well executed.

"If she had used the front or back entrance like everyone else, she would have been killed as planned, but by using the side entrance there was enough objects between her and my men to give her a chance. The motorcyclist that interfered was also an unpredicted wild card."

"If you agree to my terms, I will fund your efforts towards our mutual goal on the condition that you provide the arms and the man power. I would also like to add the caveat that I remain here as a consultant until the task is completed. If I'm paying for something, I want the chance to look over the plans before they go into action."

"Of course, of course. I would expect nothing less of you. I will see that the arrangements are made," Nakajima smiled at him. Standing up the two shook hands on it and started to leave.

"Oh and Nakajima," he drawled as the younger man looked at him in question, "Let me know when you are tired of failing. I have a few ace in the hole if push comes to shove."


	14. Chapter 14

I would like to apologize for the long delay in updating. Life happens as many of you know. I still have not finished the other story arc that I've been actively working on, but I wanted to post for this story anyways. The poll is at 14 out of 15 votes and some starter chapters have been posted for the two front runners. Admittedly I am planning on rewriting the opener for Song of a Dead Bird if that is the chosen vote to go forward, but the concept remains the same. If you have any interest in those proceedings please head over to my author page and vote. No matter the results I am hoping to post a double release for this story on Christmas eve or early Christmas morning. Thanks for your patience and support.

 **Chapter 14**

Kyoya strolled into the bungalow while the others were in the middle of a late brunch.

"You bastards are going to be the death of me." Looking up in surprise from her buttered toast, Haruhi noticed that his glare was directed at the twins. Smirking back at him unphased, they continued with their meals.

"What are you getting on about, Kyoya?"

"Yeah, seriously. Sit down and have a drink. It's too early for you to be up anyways." Rolling his eyes at their response, he turned his attention to Mori and Haruhi, who were simply watching their interaction.

"And you two. Neither of you thought to contact me after yesterday's events? You're lucky I have sources everywhere." Haruhi winced as she remembered her lack of a phone call to Ryota and even Johnathan. She had been so caught up with the twins yesterday it had completely slipped her mind. Excusing herself from the breakfast table with toast in mouth, Haruhi made her way to her abandoned laptop in the office safe. She retrieved it and booted it up as she finished her toast. First on her agenda was a call to Ryota on the secured landline and a brief glance over the news. Munching on her toast Haruhi was dismayed to find that the shooting was still the headliner and the only video clip they were playihg was of Ryota and her being shot at. The click of her call being answered pulled her attention away from the computer and she began to pace the room as she caught up with Ryota. The stern lecture she received was more than well-earned and her apologies seemed to fall on deaf ears as he reminded her of how important communication between the two of them must be. As he rambled on about the difficulties of making the next court date in six days and the additional security measure they would need, Haruhi felt the question that had been nibbling on the back of her mind come to the forefront.

"How did they get the security team to leave without us?"

"Check your email. I sent over the surveillance camera video of the courtroom entrance a while ago. You aren't going to believe this shit." Sitting down at her computer Haruhi pulled up the email in question. As the first of the spectators had walked out of the courtroom, Haruhi spotted what appeared to be her and Ryota walking out, but there was no way it was them! They were the last to leave the courtroom.

"What the hell," Haruhi murmured as she watched the guards surround the pair and begin walking off the screen. Pausing the video she noticed that besides looking exactly like them, they even had on the same clothes and were carrying the same sort of briefcases. It was as if someone had taken a picture of them earlier that morning and created perfect replicas.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself. The guards didn't catch the mishap until they had gotten to the cars and the pair refused to get in. A few of my boys interrogated them and found out that they were paid actors. Nothing on who bought them unfortunately, but we are still following up on a few small leads." Haruhi ran a hand through her hair and considered how close they had cut it.

"Jeez, what does the Sarge say about security for next week?" Out of the corner of her eye, Haruhi spotted Kyoya leaning on the doorframe looking in at her. He frowned at the image frozen on her computer.

"I got a meeting with him at 2pm to discuss it. I'm sending you over the files we discussed yesterday now." Turning her attention completely on Kyoya, she watched his eyes shift from her computer to her. Despite his efforts to hide it, she could see the concern weathered into his face and the bags under his eyes spoke of many a recent sleepless night.

"Sounds good. I'll give you a call later this evening after I've had a chance to go through all of it." With a muttered goodbye, Haruhi ended the call and put the phone down beside her. Averting her eyes away from him, she waited for him to speak.

"So that's how they did it, huh? Hidden in plain sight," Kyoya shook his head and stepped into the room.

"Appears to be. I'm more concerned with how they got it done so accurately in so little time."

"You went to the police station prior to the courthouse, correct?" Haruhi shook her head yes as she mentally retraced her footsteps. "They probably have eyes on or in the police station that got them the information they needed."

"Yes, but why didn't I notice those two when I looked around the courtroom before the hearing began," Haruhi mumbled off as she did remember two civilians sitting in the back of the court room. In a room full of yakuza, lawyers, and judicial officials, it had struck her as odd that there were civilians present, but she had been far enough away to not get a good look at them. "Nevermind."

"You know they are going to escalate this if you continue to push the case forward. These are not the kind of people you take lightly, Haruhi."

"I know, but that's not going to stop me from doing what's right. We just need to make better security arrangements in the future," she replied as she loaded up the app to hear her cell phone voicemails. It was a pain in the butt to not be able to listen to them on her phone directly, but at least she could still get to them no matter what country she was in. The screen pulled up revealing thirty two missed voicemails and Haruhi had to suppress a groan. Hopefully the majority of them were simply hang up calls.

Kyoya sighed as he thought about all of the trouble Haruhi was in and going to be in as long as she continued taking cases like these. It was easy to tell from her tone that she was not going to be stopped and that meant he needed to find a more suitable way of protecting her. Leaving Haruhi to her inbox overflowing with voicemails, Kyoya began hunting for Mori. There was a lot they needed to discuss, beginning with why he wasn't at the courthouse yesterday morning.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Honey Haninozuka gazed in the direction of the guarded villa from a window in the main house even though the location was hidden from view by trees. Sighing loudly he let his mind wonder over what his cousin could possibly be hiding out there. With his father's guards in place there was little chance of him being able to get in even if he wanted to. Continuing through the servant's passage, Honey heard the distinctive voices of his father and Mori's father coming closer on the other side of the wall.

"It is going to be difficult to extract from the villa, especially if your son is there defending."

"Leave getting rid of Takashi to me. He will be hurt by our interference now that he's invested in the protection detail, but it's for the better good. Let your sources in the yakuza know we will be ready for the handoff tomorrow at 8am. It will become their problem then." Honey listened as their conversation drifted away before taking a deep breath. Changing directions, he began to walk quickly towards the dojo as he pulled out his cellphone. Honey was disappointed when the call went straight to voicemail and the dojo was empty of the familiar black haired man. Looking across the garden from the dojo porch, Honey sized up the heavily guarded villa as he dropped his cell phone back into his pocket. If he couldn't get a hold of Takashi by the end of the day to warn him of their father's plans, then he was just going to have to take action himself.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.

Haruhi stared at the words across her laptop screen as if they were ancient hieroglyphics. She had probably been rereading the same two sentences over and over again for the past five minutes, but it was hard to focus given the circumstances. Looking up over the edge of her laptop, she took in the occupants around the room. The clicking sounds of furious typing were coming from the desk where Kyoya was sitting in a black cloud. Every now and then he would stop to adjust his glasses and peek at her before sighing and continuing with his work. Sitting in the beam of light coming in from the window, Mori silently read a book and stretched. They had discovered earlier in the day that his phone had somehow wound up in the fish pond during their drinking last night, but with most of the people he regularly talked to inside the villa there was no need for a replacement while it was out for repairs. It was actually the relative quietness coming from the twins that brought Haruhi the most discomfort. From where she was sitting, it appeared as if the two were both drawing designs and discussing them quietly so they wouldn't bother anyone else. Haruhi was forced to acknowledge that it felt right to have them in the room with her. They were no longer high schoolers overflowing with untapped energy, but rather mature adults with their own lives. Looking about the room at them made her heart throb. Kyoya's loud ringing phone interrupted their peaceful moment. Flipping it open, he greeted the caller as he stepped out of the room.

Haruhi reread the same two sentences that had been troubling her before. "Giovani Burdett is in Japan. I'm on my way to get you." The first sentence was shocking enough, but the second sentence put the frosting on the cake. Haruhi had pulled enough of her friends into these problems without adding another to the list. Going through her voicemails earlier in the afternoon, she had heard the same two statements repeated in the last voicemail from Johnathan. A plethora of the missed phone calls were from him, but there were also a few from Takashi as well. All of her attempts to call back Johnathan went straight to voicemail so she was careful to write him an email updating him on her status. For all she knew he could be on a plane to Japan as she sat there, and though she could have easily asked Kyoya to see if he was indeed on his way, Haruhi did not want to owe a favor to the Shadow King. The demon lord himself entered back into the room as if summoned and held out his phone to her.

"It's for you." Hesitantly, Haruhi reached out for the phone and put it to her ear. From around the room, the other boys silently observed.

"This is Haruhi," she stated as she listened to the silence coming from the other end of the line. A shaky breath was sucked in but the caller didn't speak. Glancing up at Kyoya, she noted that he avoided eye contact with her. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry. It's been so long since I've heard your voice." The mild French accent and the continued breathing into the phone microphone told her exactly who it was. Mentally cursing Kyoya for putting her in this position, Haruhi considered hanging up the phone and walking away. Instead she simply adjusted her hold and tried to keep calm. "Are you doing ok? You aren't hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine, nothing more than scratch from the other night." The silence stretched on between them as they listened to each other breathing. "I have to get going. Lots of work to do on the case and all."

"Yes of course. I'm sorry to have kept you. Please put Kyoya back on the phone." Standing up, Haruhi placed the phone on the desk beside Kyoya's laptop and walked out. She didn't need to see the rest of the boy's faces right now to know what they were thinking. Sighing loudly, Haruhi sat down and dangled her feet over the fish pond. Overhead the clouds began to darken and swell with rain.


	15. Chapter 15

Well my dear readers, I'm sorry but you guys got coal for Christmas from me (don't worry you can light it for warmth and energy so it's not completely useless). I was going to post on Christmas with a single chapter, but decided to wait and give you two chapters at once. This is the first chapter in the belated holiday gift. I would have only been a day late if it were not for my family. Long story short, family issues resulted in the cancellation of my trip out of the country, forced a rearrangement of my scheduled travels for the upcoming weeks, and somehow ended with me spending the last three days in my father's basement painting. Everything is fine now and I am looking forward to the glorious return to my cat-filled lair in Richmond on January 6th.

 **Chapter 15**

Mori stood in the doorway watching Haruhi silently work on the casefile. Ever since the phone call earlier this afternoon, she hadn't been the same. When she had returned from her bout in the garden, her eyes had seemed swollen as if she had been crying, but it was hard to tell from all of the rain on her. Ignoring their concerned looks, Haruhi had pulled a change of clothes from her suitcase and disappeared into the bathroom to get changed. He had kept an eye on her as she had continued her work throughout the afternoon, but his patience had run out at dinner. After Haruhi ate very little and spoke even less, Mori decided an intervention was needed. He waited until everyone was preoccupied before interrupting her incessant notetaking.

"You were upset at dinner," Mori stated as he walked into the room and sat down beside her. He was grateful that Kyoya and the twins were staying non-disruptive in the other room. Looking up from her papers, she regarded him emptily before returning her attention to the work at hand.

"I'm not upset about anything. Just gotta get this case prepared so the trial will go smoothly." Mori gave her his usual grunt and openly stared at her. Haruhi could feel his gaze warming her side and felt her stubbornness giving. Mori had always been the easiest to talk to amongst the hosts. He was always there to listen when she wanted to talk and it was hard to not confide in him. Putting her papers down in front of her, she looked over at his folded legs to avoid meeting his gaze. "Look, I don't really want to talk about it."

"You know I won't judge you." Of course she understood that, but that didn't ease the anxiety she felt. Haruhi knew that if she asked him to not tell the other hosts, he wouldn't say a word, but it would require admitting that Kyoya had been right. Perhaps she hadn't actually moved on after all. Had she just been fighting a useless battle all these years? Surely she had succeeded if you took into consideration how rarely she thought about the host club in the days before Kasanoda's request. Yet the small voice in her head questioned if that "success" was just her working to the point that she had no time to think of anything else. If she had taken the time to slow down, would she have missed them more than the small constant ache in her chest? Was she not already feeling better having them around?

"I just need this case to be settled as soon as possible, that's all. It's dangerous for you all to be near me when the yakuza want me dead." Haruhi's excuse was met with a sound of understanding from Mori, but it was obvious he wasn't buying into all of it. She wouldn't break down and open up that easily. After a few moments of silence, Haruhi shuffled her papers and continued speaking her mind. "It was easier when I was in Boston. The only person I had to look out for was myself, but here I am vulnerable. I know the risks I'm putting on all of you and even my father. It's not fair to you guys."

"You wish for the case to be over so you can leave again," Mori stated with no hint of emotion. Haruhi felt her heart squeeze at the cold statement. She wanted to deny it, but it was the unfortunate truth of the matter. Haruhi Fujioka was trying to run away again, and there was no way to spin it to make it sound better.

"Yes," she whispered, "I have to go back."

Mori leaned over and wrapped Haruhi in a hug. He could feel the tension inside of her making her physically stiff within his grasp. Nuzzling his head against her neck, he took a slow breath. They sat like that for a few moments in silence as Haruhi slowly relaxed against him.

"You could be happy here." He left off the words 'with us' though she seemed to understand his meaning anyways. From his position beside her he could see the corner of her lips quirk up in a sad smirk.

"I know," she sighed and straightened up as he released his hold on her. Haruhi looked forward with a steel-edged, honest gaze. "But happiness isn't enough Takashi. There are too many real world problems that get in the way... I'm just doing the best that I can for everyone."

Mori frown at her words, and considered how to best get his point across. She seemed a million miles away right now staring out at a stormy ocean, rather than the white wall in front of them.

"You are not alone." Mori slowly took her hand within both of his and pressed it against his cheek. She turned to look at him with a slight expression of confusion. "I will always stand beside you, and so will the others."

Haruhi pulled away from him and stood up. Taking a few steps to put distance between them, she looked out towards the garden. The rain was still pouring outside, and night had blackened the sky. His words had moved her and Haruhi could feel tears well up. Silently, she tried to recoup as the tears bubbled over to run down her cheeks. Seeing her weakness, Mori stood up and closed the distance between them, but froze before touching her. Haruhi in all of her strength appeared to be as fragile as glass before him. Stepping up beside her, he faced the garden as well. The bright colored koi fish swam slowly beneath the rippling pond surface. Even the moon wouldn't be caught in the pond's reflection on a night like tonight.

"I love you." His quiet three words hung between them like resounding bells and he finally turned to face her. She continued to look out at the garden, but he could see how troubled she was from the deep valleys across her brow. "Nothing will change that… not even your feelings for the others."

Haruhi couldn't hide the shock in her expression as she turned to face him. Had Kyoya told Mori of her secret? No, she had paid Kyoya off and if the Shadow King was good at anything, it was keeping his word. The calm, understanding look on his face gave her the impression that he had long accepted this fact about her nature. A hundred questions ran through Haruhi's mind, but all of them were silenced as the taller man leaned down to press his lips against hers. Warmth bloomed in her racing heart in the few seconds he held his lips frozen and she was surprised to find herself relaxing as he wrapped his arms around her. Moving slowly, he kissed her tenderly and she melted into him with acceptance.

Releasing her from the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers and gave them both a chance to catch their breath. The sound of a distant bell buzzed in the background, but Haruhi was focused only on the man in front of her. As if suddenly becoming aware of his actions, Takashi became awkwardly stiff and pulled away from her. Haruhi found the bright red blush across his cheeks very becoming of him. Takashi hastily bowed to her before fleeing the room with the excuse of answering the bell. Haruhi delicately pressed a few fingers to her lips and turned back towards the empty garden outside.

Mori reached the door at nearly the same time as Kyoya. The Shadow King could see the fading blush across his senpai's cheeks and raised an eyebrow in question as the man brushed past him to open the door. Outside a servant stood before the entrance nervously awaiting them.

"Morinozuka-sama, your father has requested that you and your guests come to the main house immediately to pay their respects." Kyoya's eyes darted over to meet Mori's skeptical ones before reverting back to the servant. It was incredibly late in the evening to be making a social call. The frown on Mori's face tipped Kyoya off on what he was about to do if Kyoya didn't intervene.

"Of course, we would be most honored to pay our respect to the head of the family. Let me go grab Hikaru and Kaoru and we will be right with you," Kyoya said amicably as he patted Mori hard across the back to get him moving. Closing the door again, Kyoya began to hunt for the twins as he had said he would.

"What are you thinking? It could be a trap."

"Do you seriously think we will be able to get Haruhi out of here if your family is against us? The only ones who can keep your family physically in check is the Haninozukas and if those bruises are anything to go by, you aren't exactly on good terms with them at the moment. We will go meet your father and buy you some time. I suggest you use it to prepare her to leave and figure out how we are going to get her out of here. If you have to make your move before we get back, let's meet back at my penthouse. If we are going to be playing with fire, I rather it be on my own turf." Mori nodded his head and peeled off towards Haruhi's room as Kyoya began quietly speaking to the twins.

The villa front door slid open and three of the hosts began to put their shoes on to leave. Another servant had joined the first and was holding a few umbrellas for the young masters.

"Where are the others," the messenger asked.

"The lady Haruhi is not feeling well today. Mori is in taking care of her as we speak."

"We can send some servants to see to her so that the young master may join you."

"No, I'm afraid her condition requires his attention specifically. They cannot be bothered at this time. Lead us to Morinozuka-san so that we may pay our respects." The servant stuttered in protest against Kyoya's boldness, but there was nothing to be done. Kyoya was already moving the group forward. Taking his loss in stride, the servants rushed to offer them the umbrellas and lead the way forward.

Haruhi organized her case file with a quick efficiency before throwing a regretful glance towards her small suitcase. As much as she wanted to bring it with her, the suitcase was unlikely to make the escape. Mori had been all too brief in his explanation, but it appeared that they were moving out immediately while the others distracted his father. A knock on the front door resounded in the silent villa. Haruhi headed towards it as the sounds of Mori answering the door were heard.

"Master Mori, the master requests your presence immediately. He says it's a life or death matter. It took me quite some time to find you with the security here." Haruhi watched Mori frown at the young man and the knocked out guard by his feet. Leaning against the wall, she tried to get a better look out the door. The servant's eyes darted to take in her disheveled appearance and comfortable clothes alerting Mori to her presence behind him.

"This is Honey's personal assistant." Haruhi understood his implied meaning. If Honey was calling for him and it was a serious matter, Mori was going to go to him. It was easy to see how torn up he was about the decision.

"I will be safe here. I will lock myself in my room and wait for your return," Haruhi said confidently as she laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"You will stay here and guard her while I go to him. Make sure that she does not leave this house," he ordered. With a salute, the servant turned and took up the guard position where the previous man had been standing.

"He is waiting for you in his room." Looking back at Haruhi with longing, Mori gave her a short bow and briskly began jogging down the path towards the main house. Keeping her suspicions to herself, Haruhi closed the door and locked it. The small villa felt all the larger in the silence of nighttime. Shrugging off her sudden shivers, she made her way back to her bedroom and locked the door.

.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.

Honey cursed his cousin's name beneath his breath as he crouched on the large tree branch. The evening rain was both a blessing and a curse for his endeavors. It would muffle the sound of his footsteps, but also made it more likely that he could slip and fall. As much as he would enjoy the challenge of taking on the Morinozuka guards, it would save him time and energy to avoid a confrontation. Slicking back his dripping blonde hair from his eyes, he looked at his watch again. Despite his desperate attempts to get ahold of Takashi all day, there had been no response. Even the servants didn't seem to know where he had gone.

Accepting that there was no further time to waste, Honey began running along the tree branch. At the end of the branch, he jumped off and soared through the air before rolling lightly across the villa rooftop. Glancing around for an indication that the guards had heard him, he was pleased to see no change in their positions. As he tied down the rope that had been attached to his waist to a fixture on the roof, Honey heard a loud thump. Looking towards the sound he couldn't see anything, but the guards didn't look concerned. His mind raced as he wondered why the guards wouldn't be interested in a fairly loud noise of that sort. It finally clicked in his mind as he noticed the air from a nearby air vent rippling in contention. The guards wouldn't be suspicious of the noise if they were expecting it. Crawling over to the air vent, Honey wiped his finger against the condensation at the edge and rubbed it between his fingers. His worst fears were realized as he recognized the slightly oil feel of knock out gas. Scentless and tasteless, the Haninozuka family knock out gas was only noticeable by the condensation it created at places like air vent openings. His father's plan must already be in action if the knock out gas was already in the air system. Honey was going to have to move quickly if he was going to intervene. Sliding along the roof edge, Honey dropped down into the garden and began walking towards where he had heard the noise from.

The girl on the floor looked almost like a picture through the glass window. Sprawled out on the tatami floor with her belly down, she seemed to be reaching for the door a few steps away. Her brown hair was splayed out in a pool of soft waves and her eyes were shut as her breath came in slow peaceful pulls. Beneath her right hand, a locked briefcase was wedged between the floor and her body as if she had refused to release her hold on it when she fell. A neatly packed luggage stood ready by the door for her exit, but her futon was rolled out and the blankets out of place as if she had been restlessly sitting on them.

Even though he could feel his watch ticking impatiently at his wrist, Honey stood frozen looking in at the picturesque scene before him. Haruhi Fujioka was lying on the villa floor. Haruhi Fujioka was in his family estate and no one had told him about it. Haruhi Fujioka was the person under Takashi's protection detail. His mind was short circuiting and mentally replaying all of his encounters with Takashi, his parents, and even the staff members. He was putting all of the pieces together. The fight with Takashi the other day came to the forefront and he quietly swore at his idiocracy. His cousin had all but pointed out who he was hiding in here and he had mistaken his turn of tongue for a distraction. Shame flooded through him mixing with his anger and confusion as he averted his eyes from the window. Squeezing his fists tightly, Honey reconsidered rescuing her from his father's plans. It would be easier to walk away and pretend that he was never here.


	16. Chapter 16

Second part of the double release. Happy New Years! Also if you have any interest in my other writing projects, please go vote in the poll on my profile. Thanks!

 **Chapter 16**

Takashi Morinozuka swiftly entered into the private wing of the Haninozuka mansion. Nodding his head to the maid silently dusting in the hallway, he let himself into the bedroom of Mitsukuni Haninozuka. A fire burning in the fireplace was the only light in the dark room, and it sent shadows scurrying about the corners. The large four poster bed stood empty of its usual occupant and his desk was neatly organized for a change if the dark shapes were anything to go by. A hand peeled out from the shadow of Honey's favorite armchair and placed a crumb-filled plate onto a nearby stand.

"Mitsukuni," Mori called as he approached the chair and rounded the corner to greet the occupant.

"Tsk tsk, it seems you're getting sloppy," Yorihisa Haninozuka said as he smirked up at Mori from the armchair. The young man stepped back as the older martial artist stood and stretched languidly. "I didn't think you would fall for such a simple trick. Both you and your father are so predictable when it comes to our family."

"You sent a false alarm." Mori's accusation made the older man smile even larger. Takashi would have done nearly anything to run from the room back to the villa this instant, but to show his back to this Haninozuka would be a sure beating.

"My son's assistant was more than believable was he not? You have to be careful with words in our business. But you already knew that didn't you? You and Mitsukuni have grown so much and yet have so far to go." Takashi matched each step Yorihisa took forward with a step back. Finally he backed up to the door and closed a hand around the handle. "I'm sure you don't care much for a long chat. Why don't we see how your friends are doing with Akira?"

"I have to return to the villa first."

"Of course you do, the woman is there isn't she? Haruhi is her name?" Mori narrowed his eyes at the senior and stood up straighter. Sensing a change in demeanor, the old man's smile faded slightly. "She seems like a lovely girl. It's such a shame that she has no talent for martial arts."

Mori grunted his agreement as he twisted open the lock and let the door open behind him. Time was ticking and he could only imagine the reasons Yorihisa would stall him like this.

"Well if you insist that you must go to the villa first, then we shall, but I think it is in our better interest to head straight to the common room." Stepping out into the hallway, Mori gestured for the senior to lead the way. Yorihisa smiled at Mori's guarded behavior and with a nod, began walking ahead at a reasonable pace. It would make no difference in the end to him which of the two places they went first. The time it took for Mori to run across the estate to the Haninozuka wing was all that they needed for the extraction.

.-.-…-.-.-.-..-.-.-.

Hikaru let his eyes wander about the ceremonial room that they had been placed in. The moment Akira Morinozuka entered to greet them, Kyoya had stepped forward to duel. Whatever word games the two were playing seemed to be keeping both of them on their toes, and left his mind to wander. Glancing over at Kaoru, he wondered what he was thinking about. The slight frown and gentle crease in his brow said that he was concerned. Hikaru chalked it up to being worried about Haruhi, but everyone was. She seemed to have retracted into some personal tortoiseshell after Kyoya had played her into answering a call from the Host Club King. Haruhi had probably thought it was her real father concerned about her well-being. Hikaru reached over to squeeze his brother's shoulder reassuringly before turning his attention back to the conversation underway.

"I'm under the impression that you don't care much for the woman under your son's protection."

"Quite the contrary, Ootori-san. I hold nothing but a high regard for her."

"Then why meddle in something that could bring an axe down upon her head?"

"An axe to the head? The yakuza are more likely to use a gun or knife, don't you think?" Kyoya cocked an eyebrow in annoyance, but held his retort in favor for pressing the issue.

"No matter their weapon of choice, the effect would be the same."

"On the contrary, you aren't considering the aftermath of her stay on those around her." Understanding dawned on Kyoya as he recognized the meaning in the older Morinozuka's words. Mori's father was interfering on the misguided belief that he was protecting his son from heartbreak. Unfortunately for him, it's impossible to protect someone who has already given their heart away.

"Your son is not the only one invested," Kyoya stated carefully as he pushed his glasses up his nose. Akihira looked at him skeptically before he caught on to the implication. Shaking his head slowly, he gave the three of them a look of pity.

"Fujioka-san told me that she has no intention of staying in Japan and we both know she isn't the kind of weak-kneed girl to be swayed by a dashing young suitor."

"How about six of them," Kaoru muttered under his breath rhetorically. Hikaru quickly jabbed his elbow into his twin's side causing him to cough for a few moments. Both Akihira and Kyoya looked over at them critically before turning their attention back to each other.

"She has not been made aware of the opportunities available to her yet. With a little persuasion and a solid proposal, we will have her happily moving back to Japan before you know it."

"Seems mighty confident of you to make such a presumption." Kyoya smirked and shifted his body so he could slide his hands nonchalantly into his pockets. He was sure that she would give into her desires if they kept up the pressure. It was only a matter of time and consistency. Whatever witty retort he was about to reply with was interrupted by the door slamming open. Mori walked in drenched from the pouring rain outside followed quickly by the older Haninozuka.

"Tell me what you did with Haruhi," Takashi growled as he stopped inches away from his father. His fists were squeezed tight at his sides to keep from moving in anger. Water dripped down from his soaked clothes and hair, but he made no move to clear the water droplets from his face.

"She wasn't there Akira," Yorihisa interrupted. Grabbing two towels from the servant who scurried into the room after them, he tossed one of them around the shoulders of the younger Morinozuka before starting to wipe himself down. "When we got there, Mitsukuni's assistant was still there and your guards were all still in place, but she wasn't inside."

"Where is she," Takashi repeated again slowly as he glared down his father with cold eyes. Akira frowned deeply as he began moving away from his son towards the standing samurai armor display in the rear of the room. Stepping up on a particular lip of the case, Akira slid his hand into the back of the armor and pulled the small hidden handle within. A panel behind them popped outward before sliding away to reveal an entrance to a poorly lit hallway. Akira and Yorihisa hurried forward and led them through the maze of passages towards the estate security control room. The martial artists moved quickly, but Kyoya and the twins were careful to not be left behind.

"Mitsukuni's assistant was supposed to escort her to a secure location at the far side of the estate until the handoff tomorrow morning."

"He said he placed the knock out gas as instructed and waited the minimum time for maximal effect before going in to retrieve her. When he finally got the door open, she and her casefile were gone," Yorihisa added.

"I need my cell phone returned to me in working condition as soon as possible. She will try to contact me through it," Mori stated firmly. A servant trailing them quickly ran off to see how the repairs were fairing and fetch it for him. Mori was regretting not simply asking for a new phone the moment his old phone broke just in case anything happened. He had lulled himself into thinking she was safe as long as she stayed within the villa and he was nearby.

"Who else did you tell about the plan," Kyoya interrupted from behind.

"No one besides the assistant and he has been in the family since before he could walk." They entered into the control room without a knock. The two guards on camera duty quickly stood to bow to them, but Akira waved them off impatiently. "We need to see the footage of the villa security cameras for the past hour immediately please. There might have been a security breach. Send out a high alert to all the guards and seal the grounds. No one in or out until we find out what happened."

.-.-.-.-..-.-.-

Haruhi slowly returned to the land of the living and opened her eyes. The presence of a soft bed beneath her was the first indication that she was probably someplace she wasn't supposed to be, but it was the white plastic ceiling above her that really took the icing on the cake. Sitting up slowly, the blankets slid down to pool about her waist. Looking about the small room, it appeared that she was in a bed on a plane. She could see the clouds sailing by in the night sky from a nearby oval window. As if that wasn't concerning enough, Haruhi's clothes were missing! The shirt she had on was obviously a men's button up shirt and a quick peak under the covers revealed a pair of boxers as well. One of the two doors swung open releasing a small cloud of steam and a young man toweling off his honey blonde hair. His bare well-muscled chest rippled with his movement and a few missed drops of water cascaded downward. As if noticing her in the room for the first time, Honey stopped to look at her and tossed his towel aside.

"Honey senpai? Where are we?" Her voice sounded exactly how he remembered it. The sweet sound of it nearly music to his ears after all these years, but he shook his head as if trying to push it away.

He should have left her there in the villa, but somehow he hadn't been able to make himself walk away. Haruhi had looked so vulnerable laid out upon the floor. It hadn't been too difficult to carry her back to the rope and get them both across into the trees unseen. The rain had drenched them both and by the time he had gotten them back to his plane, he knew that they needed to get into dry clothes as soon as possible or risk illness. Giving his pilot brief instructions where to go, Honey had dismissed the servants and brought the unconscious girl back to his room. It seemed almost a disservice to her the way he mechanically stripped her of her clothes, dried her off, and put fresh dry clothes. He hadn't even thought to be embarrassed until he was in the middle of his shower and thinking over his actions. Now seeing her disheveled in his bed with his clothes on, Honey felt his attraction for her come back in full force. It was almost as if she had never left the Host Club and the feelings had remained steady over the years. Focusing on the pain she caused him and the anger he felt, he separated himself again from his old feelings for her. Funny how something he considered long extinguished could come back rather quickly.

"We are in route to Basan, South Korea. I have some scheduled work to do there and this is the easiest way to keep you safe while I try to get ahold of my cousin. It seems our parents were going to hand you over to the yakuza when I intercepted you."

"I can't leave Japan right now. I have a trial in five days that I need to prepare for!"

"You will have all the time you need to build your case in the security of the compound. I'll schedule a helicopter to take you to the courthouse for the trial, just tell me the time it starts."

"And what about Takashi? He is expecting me to be waiting for him in the villa. How long have I been out? I have to let him know I'm alright." Honey frowned at her and walked past her to his dresser to grab a shirt. He didn't know what upset him more, hearing her call his cousin by his given name or her concern over worrying him. Careful to keep his back to her, Honey tried to keep the mixture of roiling emotions under control. It was a bad idea to bring her back here after all.

"At least three hours. Takashi probably didn't expect for our parents to betray him. I will try calling him again once we land."

"Don't bother. Hikaru knocked his phone into the koi pond when we were drinking the other night. They said it would take a day or two before they could repair it." Haruhi ran a hand through her messy hair and spotted her briefcase sitting on a nearby table. She was immensely grateful he had thought to grab it. It would have been terrible if it was left behind.

"Oh really...," Honey replied darkly. Haruhi had been about to push the blankets off and go to her briefcase when the tone of Honey's words stopped her. She realized her mistake moments too late. "Do tell me who else knows you are back."


End file.
